290 IAC 2-1-1 Purpose

Sec. 1. Severe weather warning sirens are used to alert citizens to an imminent weather hazard and prompt them to find shelter and to seek further detailed information from such sources as all-hazards weather radios and the media. A purpose of this article is to establish uniform county planning documents that may be used by county officials to determine when additional sirens are required. Another purpose is to establish common guidelines for the activation of sirens throughout Indiana that are in accordance with identified best practices throughout the United States. The article clarifies and provides detailed guidance concerning the following: (1) The minimum standards and specifications of severe weather warning sirens used to notify citizens of an impending emergency or disaster incident including a minimum range, coverage patterns, and weather resistance characteristics for any outdoor siren that is to be acquired and installed in a county under a county's siren coverage plan. (2) Required elements of a county siren coverage report. (3) Required elements of a county siren coverage plan, which shall address the following: (A) Types of audible outdoor warning system equipment to be used in participating counties. (B) Activation requirements, control, and monitoring of an outdoor public alert system (PAS). (C) Warning signal protocols and standards. (D) Audibility and installation standards of an outdoor siren. (4) A general description of any storm, weather condition, or emergency, including a tornado, for which an outdoor weather warning siren may be activated. (5) Requirements for any test, activation, or failure rate data that the IDHS may require a county to submit with respect to any siren identified by a county in a siren coverage report prepared by a county that complies with section 9 of this rule or siren coverage plan prepared by a county that complies with section 12 of this rule and any other information necessary for the IDHS to: (A) assess the number, location, and operational condition of existing outdoor severe warning sirens in each county in Indiana; (B) review a county's siren coverage report; (C) review a county's siren coverage plan; and (D) determine and advise the county of the need for additional sirens in order to ensure comprehensive severe weather warning siren coverage for the county.