FAQ: Emergency Notification

Introduction | Accidental Releases and Emissions | Emergency Notification | Public Information | Other ISO Questions

Contra Costa Health Services Hazardous Materials Programs has hired a consultant to do public outreach on the County's Industrial Safety Ordinance. The consultant is doing presentations explaining the requirements of the ordinance in preventing accidental releases from petroleum refineries and chemical plants. Many questions arise during these presentations about the impacts from accidental releases and emissions, emergency notification, public information, and other topics. The following are some of the common questions that have been raised during the presentations and the answers to these questions.

At what point is the County Health Services Hazardous Materials Response Team and Fire Department called to provide assistance?

Different levels of response are implemented by the County. When a plant assesses a problem to be a Level 3 incident, they are advising that there is expected be off-site consequences. If such is the case, then the following events occur:

sirens surrounding the facility are sounded;
emergency response teams including the Health Services Hazardous Materials Response Team and Fire Department are contacted;
media are notified;
an announcement is made on NOAA weather radios;
the Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) phone calls are made to downwind Homes and businesses advising them to Shelter-in-place.
E-mail notifications are made to that have signed up for this service.

If industry is reluctant to call in the County Hazardous Materials Response Team, can someone mandate the County's emergency services intervene?

Once the County is aware of a problem, they can take control and mandate action.

Will the TENS call me if I have an unlisted phone number?

A law was passed in Sacramento at the request of the County's Emergency Services to provide listed and unlisted numbers to be used for the TENS database. The 9-1-1 database was used. Everyone is on the 9-1-1 database, whether they are unlisted or not. There are 750,000 phones in the County's 9-1-1 database. However, cell phones and mobile phones are not on that list, just fixed phones in residential or commercial areas.

Why is it that the siren can barely be heard indoors?

The sirens were designed to alert the people that are outside. The TENS, the media, Emergency Alert System, Internet notifications, and NOAA Weather Radios are designed to alert and notify the people that are inside.

When the Community Warning System siren sounds, how will I know when it's safe to go outside?

When you hear the siren, you should Shelter-In-Place. Close doors and windows and shut off air conditioning/heating. There is no "all clear" siren. TENS will notify residents via phone call when it is safe. In addition, announcements will be made on the radio and television.

Does the County siren sound continuously until the all clear?

The County will continue to resound the sirens, approximately every thirty minutes, where people should continue to Shelter-In-Place.

Will the TENS phone call come at any hour of the day, perhaps while I'm asleep during the middle of the night?

It will call anytime there is a release where it is expected the community would have a health impact and if you are downwind of the release.

If evacuation is necessary, does the County send anyone to assist in evacuating residents?

Evacuation notification and actions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If evacuation is determined to be the best action to take, people who will be asked to evacuate will be notified by the TENS and by radio and television.

Will sirens and the TENS phone call be activated for railroad tank car or highway tank truck spills when hazardous chemicals are involved? If terrorists cause a gas release, will TENS or a siren occur? Will the sirens only sound for release of chemicals from ISO covered facilities?

The Community Warning System will be used for chemical releases from any source, including railroad tank cars, tank trucks on freeways, all industrial facilities, including the facilities not included in ISO.

How many phone calls per hour are TENS capable of?

The TENS system can make 256 phone calls simultaneously and on July 1, 2004 500 calls simultaneous.

Will the police scanner pick up a chemical release alert broadcast?

Only if the dispatcher relays the alert over the police frequency.

Can a siren be placed closer to our neighborhood?

Currently, there are only 40 sirens from Richmond to Antioch downwind of industrial facilities. Plans have been proposed to expand the system and use it as an all risk system (e.g. flood, fire) in which case it may result in additional sirens. Perhaps you may want to further discuss these plans with your Mayor or Supervisor.

Who has control of the siren?

The Community Warning System, including the sirens, is controlled by Contra Costa Health Services Hazardous Materials Programs. The Office of the Sheriff will soon be in control of the Community Warning System. Some plants such as ChevronTexaco, ConocoPhilips, Shell, Tesoro, Rhodia, and Dow can activate the sirens closest to them if they are confident that the release will affect the community (Level 3). However, the County's Hazardous Materials department has the ultimate authority on assessing the level of the release and activating any sirens.

Content provided by Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Programs of Contra Costa Health Services.