290 IAC 2-1-2 Definitions

Sec. 2. The following definitions apply throughout this article: (1) "Activation" means the measure or measures taken by a community to begin operating an alerting and severe weather warning siren system for a specific jurisdiction based upon an actual or perceived threat to life, health, and property. (2) "Alert" means any text, voice, video, or other information provided by an authorized official to provide situational awareness to the public or private, or both, sector concerning a potential or ongoing emergency situation, which may require actions to protect life, health, and property. (3) "Audibility" means to describe the degree to which a sound can be heard, and it is considered a key metric for evaluating outdoor warning systems. Important components of audibility include whether the sound is louder than the surrounding ambient noise and its ability to attract the attention of otherwise occupied individuals. (4) "Authorized county official" means the individual designated as having authority within a county to activate the county's severe weather warning sirens if there is an actual or perceived threat to life, health, and property. (5) "County siren coverage plan" means the document generated by Indiana counties detailing the necessary information as prescribed by IC 36-8-21.5-13. (6) "County siren coverage report" means a document generated by Indiana counties detailing the necessary information as prescribed by IC 36-8-21.5-11, which calls for data related to the county's existing or planned warning sirens. The data found in this report shall include such information as areas covered by existing sirens, projected locations for planned sirens, maintenance and testing of existing systems, and identification of persons designated as having authority to activate the county's severe weather warning sirens. (7) "dB(C)" refers to decibels relative to the carrier. (8) "Emergency" means an unexpected event that places life or property, or both, in danger and requires an immediate response through the use of available community resources. (9) "Failure rate" means the number or percentage of actual failures observed through the testing and activation of warning systems at a given site or location. (10) "IDHS" refers to the Indiana department of homeland security established in IC 10-19-3-3. (11) "Infrastructure agency" means an Indiana political subdivision or a designated agency responsible for acquiring, operating, maintaining, and testing one (1) or more severe weather warning sirens in an area. (12) "Installation" means the setting in place of one (1) or more severe weather warning sirens in a given county for the purpose of alerting or warning the public of actual or potentially hazardous situations. (13) "Maximum coverage area" means the fullest extent to which a severe weather warning siren is expected to be effective in alerting and warning the public. (14) "Minimum technical standards" means the minimum standards and specifications of severe weather warning sirens used to notify citizens of an impending emergency or disaster. (15) "Outdoor warning system" is a term used to describe the mechanisms, processes, equipment, and devices in fixed or mobile locations positioned outdoors activated to notify and warn the public of impending life-threatening situations. (16) "Planning agency", with respect to a county, means a unit of government that has planning and zoning jurisdiction over all or part of the area or a plan commission that has planning jurisdiction over all or any part of the area. (17) "SEPSS" refers to stored emergency power supply system. (18) "Severe weather warning siren" means an outdoor device that can be activated with a specified range to warn residents of an occurrence or imminent threat of weather using audible signals and sounds. (19) "Temporary dwelling" means buildings, structures, or portions of land dedicated to recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use. (20) "Testing" means the practice of evaluating a specific resource, capability, or function to determine its effectiveness based upon specific criteria or standards. (21) "Wail" means a common audible siren alert tone that remains steady over a period of three (3) minutes to five (5) minutes. (22) "Warning" means a hydro-meteorological message issued to provide appropriate information of hazardous and potentially life-threatening weather conditions, which may also include key actions to be taken by the public to prevent loss of life and damage to property.