South Bend, Washington – The Pacific County Emergency Management Agency’s (PCEMA) All Hazard Alert Broadcast (AHAB) siren system next regularly scheduled monthly test will be Monday, July 5th at noon. It is recommended that residents of Pacific County mark their calendars for the monthly AHAB siren system test. The test is currently scheduled for the first Monday of every month at noon. 

During testing, the sirens will sound the Westminster Chimes for 10 seconds followed by a 15 second verbal message stating “The following is a test of the siren warning system. It is only a test. This is a test of the siren warning system. If this had been a real emergency you should tune your radio to your local radio station or listen to this system for further instructions. This was only a test.”

In actual events, the AHAB sirens will sound a constant tone for three continuous minutes, and may be followed by a verbal message. Both the Westminster chimes and the actual warning tone can be heard by visiting the PCEMA website at www.co.pacific.wa.us/pcema and clicking on the Tsunami tab. 

There are currently twelve AHAB sirens installed in Pacific County located in the areas of North Cove, Bay Center, Ilwaco, Seaview, Long Beach, Surfside, and Ocean Park. Sirens are not designed to be heard indoors and the sound may also be impacted by adverse weather. Residents are encouraged to have alternate methods of warning such as NOAA weather radios, which are tested weekly and can be heard indoors. Residents with questions or concerns may contact the PCEMA office at (360) 875-9340 or (360) 642-9340.

Long Beach, Washington – The Pacific County Amateur Radio Club (PCARC) will hold the 9th annual North American Field Day operating event the weekend of June 26th at the Port of Peninsula and Morehead Park. This waterfront area has proven to be an excellent site for radio transmissions and is utilized through the generosity of both Port of Peninsula and Pacific County. 

Field Day is an operating event and informal contest where Radio Amateurs in North America emphasize emergency communications skills and rapid setup of radios and antennas powered by batteries and/or generators. After a 24 hour setup period, the 24 hour operating event begins during which local amateur radio operators will practice emergency message handling as well as make hundreds of radio contacts, likely including several Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s) throughout the country. Annually contact is made with nearly all states and Provinces of Canada and Mexico and the Virgin Islands

All told the Pacific County Amateur Radio Club will operate a “Get on the Air” Station, a Single Side Band Station, a Morse Code Station, a packet (digital) Station, and a VHF Station, demonstrating the capability of radio amateurs of Pacific County. Friday evening, prior to the start of the contest portion of Field Day, operating Field Day stations make test contacts with preset locations locally and in adjacent states. This test proves the viability of the each working station and antenna arrays.

The public is invited to observe amateur radio at work and learn how to make contact with another radio station in North America. One station is dedicated for use by the public and for amateurs who do not typically operate on the short-wave bands. The best time to visit operations is Saturday midday through late afternoon. Stop by the information booth for a brochure, a tour, or to ask questions about becoming a licensed radio amateur. The information booth will be located in the Port of Peninsula parking area. 

The Pacific County Amateur Radio Club meets the second Saturday of each month at 9:00AM at Hunter’s Inn in Naselle. Anyone interested in ham radio is encouraged to attend. For more information contact: Dick Lemke, President and Field Day Chairman 665-2438 or Bob Cline, Emergency Services Volunteer 665-4496.

South Bend, Washington – The All Hazard Alert Broadcast (AHAB) siren system spotter reports have been received by the Pacific County Emergency Management Agency (PCEMA) and forwarded to the Washington Emergency Management Division (WAEMD). The results for today’s test are: Notes: The sequence heard today was 1) chimes with light, 2) wailing siren, 3) high-low pitch siren, 4) chimes, and 5) voice. The voice announcement was short, “tsunami, volcano, hazardous material”. There was no indication this event was a test. At some sites it was reported that the voice was overdriven and distorted. Ilwaco - 807 Whealdon: no chimes, no voice, no light Cape Disappointment - Space 90: chimes, voice, light activated Surfside - 33104 J Place: chimes, voice, light activated Ocean Park - 21611 V Ln: chimes, voice, light activated Ocean Park - 2017 304th Ln: chimes, voice activated, no light Ocean Park - 27212 U Street: chimes, voice, light activated Ocean Park - 2408 245th Lane: chimes, voice, light activated Bay Center - 408 Bay Center Road: chimes, voice activated, light unknown Seaview - 3801 N Place: chimes, voice, light activated Long Beach - 9211 X Street: chimes, voice, light activated Long Beach - 319 2nd Street: chimes, voice, light activated North Cove - 2829 SR 105 (PCFD5)* North Cove - Seabreeze Rd/Warrenton Cannery Rd**PCEMA is still awaiting spotter reports from the North Cove area. Volunteers for the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) serve as AHAB siren spotters every month. Without their service PCEMA would be unable to submit timely and accurate monthly test results to WAEMD. The cause for the AHAB sirens sounding multiple tones and alerts during today’s test is still under investigation. PCEMA will continue to work with WAEMD to determine the cause of the malfunction. Residents with questions or concerns may contact the PCEMA office at (360) 875-9340 or (360) 642-9340.

South Bend, Washington – The Pacific County Emergency Management Agency’s (PCEMA) All Hazard Alert Broadcast (AHAB) siren system was activated today as part of the regular monthly testing schedule. There were issues with the siren activations and preliminary reports are indicating that results at each siren site may differ. PCEMA is awaiting the official spotter reports. PCEMA is working closely with the Washington Emergency Management Division to determine the cause of the malfunction. The standard procedure for the monthly test is for the sirens to sound the Westminster Chimes for 10 seconds followed by a 15 second verbal message stating “The following is a test of the siren warning system. It is only a test. This is a test of the siren warning system. If this had been a real emergency you should tune your radio to your local radio station or listen to this system for further instructions. This was only a test.” In actual events, the AHAB sirens will sound the constant tone for three continuous minutes, and may be followed by a verbal message. Both the Westminster chimes and the actual warning tone can be heard by visiting the PCEMA website at www.co.pacific.wa.us/pcema. Residents with questions or concerns may contact the PCEMA office at (360) 875-9340 or (360) 642-9340.