Sedgwick County
Emergency
Management emphasizes planning, preparing, and coordinating local governments’
efforts in dealing with all types of emergencies and hazards, natural or
man-made, or homeland security, which might affect citizens of Sedgwick County.
This preparation is necessary to improve our community’s overall coordination
and ongoing preparedness. Emergency Management prepares for what we hope never
happens and provides structure and coordination when it does. The
Department of Homeland Security is the major grantor for Emergency Management.
CLICK HERE FOR EMERGENCY INFORMATION
|
|
||
Severe Weather Awareness
Severe Weather Safety Classes
Sedgwick County Emergency Management will again offer severe weather safety
classes throughout the spring months. These classes are designed to teach
attendees the basics of thunderstorm development, storm structures and features,
where to find them, and how to stay safe from them. What, when and how to report
information is also covered. The session is a multi-media presentation, which
includes detailed video. Classes are open to the public and no prior experience
or knowledge of severe weather is necessary to attend. Registration for the
2-hour classes is not necessary.
A complete list of
local classes is available by clicking here.
Note: additional classes have been added to the schedule, the popular city of
Wichita class has moved from Northwest High School to Wilbur Middle School, and
a second class for the city of Wichita will take place at 10 a.m. March 10 at
the WSU Hughes Metroplex.
When Severe Weather Strikes
In Sedgwick County, residents enjoy a multi-layered warning system that
includes media alerts, NOAA radio alerts, Emergency Alert System (EAS) for areas
served by Cox Communications, and outdoor warning devices. Tuning into local
media is always a good first step to learn about potential warnings, and the
Sedgwick County Emergency Information Log also offers a direct source of
information regarding any type of emergency affecting the area, including severe
weather. The log is updated in real time by emergency management personnel. It
is helpful especially in times of uncertainty, as we experienced early this
morning when a handful of outdoor warning devices activated, but a tornado
threat had not been determined, thus was not reported by the local media. By
checking the Emergency Information Log, residents could learn that Sedgwick
County had not activated the sirens and was not reporting a tornado threat.
The Emergency Information Log may be accessed
by clicking here.
Note: it is not recommended to call 9-1-1 to inquire about a severe weather
event. Residents should only contact 9-1-1 if they are in need of assistance
from firefighters, police or the emergency medical service (EMS).
Outdoor Warning System Upgrades
Upgrades to the outdoor warning system in Sedgwick County have begun and will
be complete in time for severe weather season. The new system will operate
digitally with expanded security features and in a “selective warning” manner.
In the past, the system operated in an “all or nothing” manner, meaning every
outdoor warning device would activate if any portion of Sedgwick County was
experiencing a tornado threat. The new system will allow operators to sound only
the devices in the direct or adjacent threat path.
Service Interruptions: During the project,
portions of the outdoor warning system will be unavailable for varying lengths
of time. Although severe weather in the form of tornadoes is rare this time of
year, Sedgwick County Emergency Management reminds residents to keep a watchful
eye on weather reports and to monitor local media sources should severe weather
occur.
Selective Warning: Following the system upgrade, the outdoor
warning devices will operate in a “selective warning” manner, which is different
from the county-wide method previously used. Outdoor sirens will sound only
within and near areas experiencing a direct threat; so, residents who hear
outdoor sirens should take shelter immediately, and then seek more information
from media sources.
If a tornado warning is issued for Sedgwick County and residents do not hear the
sirens, they should not assume the system is malfunctioning. Residents should
refer to local media sources to determine the level of threat and path of the
storm.
Tune In: Outdoor warning systems are designed to warn those who
are outdoors and away from media sources of approaching severe weather. They are
not intended to serve as the primary warning. Residents should always monitor
weather reports and refer to local media sources when there is a threat of
severe weather.
Emergencies
When an emergency affects the Sedgwick County area such as severe weather, flooding, and other disaster, Emergency Management will have spotters and units in the field reporting the latest information and developments to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). You can monitor emergency spotter reports online. Sedgwick County Emergency Management also encourages citizens to invest in a NOAA weather alert radio and to tune into local television and radio stations for information on emergencies effecting Sedgwick County.
Mitigation Plan Review
We have recently updated the Sedgwick County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, please click on the link to review the updated version.
Hazardous Analysis Plan
The Sedgwick County Hazards Analysis Plan has recently been revised. The purpose of a hazards analysis plan is to identify the potential hazards facing a community whether they are natural, technological or national security related. The plan follows a three-step, decision-making process and is designed to consider all potential hazards within the planning district and to identify which hazards are of high priority and should be addressed in the emergency planning process.
Mission
The Sedgwick County Emergency Management Department exists to help citizens and local governments mitigate against, prepare for, respond to and recover from all types of emergencies and disasters (natural, technological, and national security).
© Copyright, 2011 Sedgwick County, Kansas
Please report problems to the webmaster
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED