Phuket

aussie dollar · #1 04-03-2005, 09:51

Thursday, March 3, 2005

Patong gets disaster warning system

PATONG: An emergency alarm system has been installed in Patong and will be handed over to Patong Municipality tomorrow. The system will also be tested.

The system will feature seven alarms, outside Kalim School, at Loma Park, outside the Bank of Asia branch, at the Sai Nam Yen intersection, outside the Baan Yin Dee Hotel, outside Suwan Keree school, and at the Sea Pearl Hotel intersection.

Receivers attached to each alarm will pick up signals transmitted from the warning centre’s base in the municipality’s public relations department.

The 560,000-baht system is being donated by its manufacturer, UA Thai Industry Co of Nakhon Pathom, whose Managing Director, Surin Aramcharoen, said the company was giving the system to Patong because it is a tourist area.

He added that it can be linked to monitors in the sea to warn of impending tsunamis.

He explained, “If there were a satellite warning system under the sea and we could pick up the satellite signal, the machine could automatically issue an alert.”

Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukbal said, “If we learn about an earthquake or other impending disaster, the new system will allow us to warn people about it, and about how severe it is likely to be.

“It will be a temporary measure while we wait for the new government warning system to be installed.”

Coolhand · #2 04-03-2005, 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

Receivers attached to each alarm will pick up signals transmitted from the warning centre’s base in the municipality’s public relations department.

So, who will take responsibilty for transmitting the alarm?
Not that they will ever have to, hopefully?

aussie dollar · #3 04-03-2005, 13:33

I wondered that too but guess at least its there.
will also be interested what happens when they test it,if anyone there hears anything let us know ?

aussie dollar · #4 07-03-2005, 11:33

Monday, March 7, 2005

Tsunami alarm test fails to convince public

PATONG: The resort town’s new early warning system encountered a few hiccups during its first test on Friday, with one witness describing it as sounding like “an announcement at a temple fair”.

Two of the seven sirens installed throughout Patong Municipality failed to go off,

and even when this had been rectified, the alarms were not audible to everyone, although the manufacturers said later that the volume had been deliberately set low so as not to panic people.

The controls for the 560,000-baht system are housed within the Municipality’s public relations office. In the run-up to the test, staff distributed around 2,000 flyers and made several announcements warning that the alarms were about to be tested, and that this was just a drill.

However, public reaction seemed to suggest that the warnings were superfluous. Chuchart Jinda, who was in Patong during the test, said, “I heard it, but it was not clear and it was too quiet.

“It’s not efficient as a warning system, as the sound was carried away on the wind. It is good to be prepared for things, but it must be better than this … It sounded like an announcement at a temple fair.”

Jakkapan Duangjan agreed. “I heard the siren only once, and it wasn’t clear. It won’t work as a warning system. If they want it to be an alarm, it must be better than what you see in films; it should be loud and clear. However, I suppose anything it’s better than nothing.”

Swede Stig Forsen didn’t even know there had been a test. “I didn’t know they were going to test an alarm system, and I didn’t hear it anyway. It’s good to have a system in place, but I certainly didn’t hear it,” he said.

Somboon Ratanapanang, a spokesman for the manufacturer, UA Thai Industry, defended the system, saying, “The announcements may have been almost inaudible, but we set the volume low because we didn’t want to panic people.

“Every outlet worked efficiently, though, and I’m confident that, when we check it quarterly, it will work well.”