Please see the following as received by MEMA Public Information Officer Peter Judge:
On Wednesday, November 16th, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state of New Hampshire, in conjunction with Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, will conduct an audible demonstration of all 121 of the Public Alert and Notification System (PANS) sirens that are located within Seabrook Station’s 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). There are 27 sirens located in Massachusetts, within the communities of Amesbury, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury and West Newbury, with 94 in New Hampshire.
This demonstration is a public information endeavor designed to increase public awareness of what the sirens sound like and what to do if they are ever sounded due to a declared emergency. The siren demonstration will begin at 12:30pm, lasting from 3-5 minutes, and will be ending at approximately 12:35pm. No public action will be necessary.
While the PANS sirens can be used to notify the public of any kind of emergency (i.e. weather, homeland security event, etc.), the purpose of this November 16th demonstration is to provide the public within the 23 Seabrook Station EPZ communities an opportunity to again hear the siren tone that would be utilized by Massachusetts and New Hampshire to alert the public of an emergency at Seabrook Station.
The demonstration is intended to complement information published annually in the Emergency Public Information Calendars for Neighbors of Seabrook Station in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The annual emergency public information calendars advise the public that if they hear the PAN siren tone, for three to five minutes, tune to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio station for their state (93.7 FM, 92.5 FM, 1030 AM, 98.5 FM and 1450 AM in MA; 97.5 FM in NH) for specific information and directions. The demonstration is intended to reinforce that message.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema. Follow MEMA updates on Facebook and Twitter.