Public Address | Cafe | Southerly: A Tsunami False Alarm at 2.00 AM was All I Needed

Matthew Poole

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:15:26 +1200

A second aside, apparently these volunteer firebrigaders never get any trauma counseling. Even after attending a burning vehicle (driver inside), or a suicide.

It’s available to all NZFS personnel, volunteer or career. I was repeatedly reminded of the availability of trauma counselling while I was a volunteer. Every region has…

Dinah Dunavan

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:56:53 +1200

We arrived at the local shop (to check our PO Box and buy a paper) a short 30 hours after a double fatal accident near-by. The gentle sound of trucks rumbling by was shattered by the siren. We all looked at each other and laughed nervously.

It was the fire-brigade…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:16:27 +1200

pettifogging the alarmists...
...we had shell-trumpets...
until those conch objectors came along...

... and anyway Hercules epically advises
on the benefits of ignoring Sirens.

Tamsin6

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:52:34 +1200

Well, that's good news at least. As usual, (my) words are inadequate, but it looked really distressing from over here, and good to know that not quite as dreadful as it could have been.

linger

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:12:54 +1200

Yeah, it was the second biggest aftershock so far.
Looking at the map, it was uncomfortably close to Sendai; OTOH that means the focus was shallower, which should mean there is less chance of a big tsunami in Tohoku this time. (There’s been a tsunami warning issued for Tohoku, but…

Tamsin6

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:50:42 +1200

Now saying it was 7.1, pictures they are showing on Sky show a pretty big shake anyway.

Tamsin6

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:23:13 +1200

Oh shit – another big earthquake just hit off coast of NorthEast Japan. 7.4, predicted 1 metre wave.

All joking aside, it would be nice to be equipped with a decent tsunami warning system and evacuation route for just these sorts of eventualities. I'm with Islander – this stuff happens…

FletcherB

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 02:11:58 +1200

More Tsunami evacuation fun...

In Huia (west auckland) the Tsunami evacuation signs and sirens went in a few months after the boxing day Tsunami a few years back (like most places, I expect?).

They, quite sensibly, guide you inland from the sea, along a ~1km flat to go up the…

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:57:54 +1200

Became extinct in all harbours I know of in the late 1950s-

(I can actually remember hearing foghorns in both Oamaru & Dunedin harbours…)

One matter is – if you used any of these sound systems without accustoming the natives (us) to what they meant – well, you get the very…

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:45:59 +1200

Well that's.....progress. I wonder if there are any old fog horns about the place.

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:37:35 +1200

Yeah, we had shell-trumpets (and also ones made of flax & wood.) The only person I know who can still effectively use them (Richard Nunns) is 500 k away. The very technology to produce those is effectively – dead.

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:34:59 +1200

There are NO bells in South Westland. In all the places my whanau live – there are no bells. In all of CHCH, as useful warning systems – no bells.

BELLS ARE NO LONGER – ooops- well they just arnt useful here, any more.

Whistles – enhanced. Gongs (used to…

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:24:18 +1200

what duck?

Was thinking of the hardy water off a ducks back and the ironic took to it like a duck to water

How about bells? There must be some semi obsolete or traditional device that could provide the dB, a decent sized vuvuzela?

Traditionally made from a kudu horn,…

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:07:58 +1200

Pathos?
Ymm, that was a real story, not a tug at the heart strings.

Aside from parries, what duck? And where parries are known & treasured, WTF?

We need a screamingly different sound-

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:57:57 +1200

Such pathos, that is beautiful. Thank you Islander.

Perhaps a giant duck call device that can fit to the siren motor?

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:57:20 +1200

"She felt uneasy – woke up early
said to her mother, We must run-
you take the babies, and a blanket or 2
and I'll go to the claim, make him have done-
he loved his gold and
she loved him, and the babies grew
but back they never did…

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:52:20 +1200

What is needed is something both visual & soundful and unique- something that not only flashes & shouts TSUNAMI! GEDDOUTAHERE! but cant be confused with a fire siren (or police car sirens.)And, to accompany it, there are needed very clear directions as to what to do when the alarums go off- much…

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:48:23 +1200

from Anderson’s paddock,
roused from their grazing,
stampeded the township,
saved every babe.

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:41:05 +1200

And he recruited his tsunami-warning troops from where?

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:29:16 +1200

Recalls the shanty:

Old Jack Hynes,
the wave bearing down,
but two rounds left…

Islander

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 22:05:56 +1200

Dear David – you & lovely family stay well, be happy, and keep on producing wordy stuff! (Tho’ I’m not quite sure to make of the totally enthusiastic reception of Arapeta by one whanau- he keeps licking the pages- which means, I think, write another Arapeta adventure! Quick!)

-may I get…

David Haywood

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:45:37 +1200

I know the loop precisely! There is only one route into and out of Cooks Beach and you didn’t find it! Obviously an April Fooler turned one of the signs around…..?

Worse than that. I checked in daylight, and the follow-up sign is in such a location that it couldn't…

Emma Hart

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:21:00 +1200

In my case, I'd incorporated the siren into my dreams

Have you seen my new digital watch, Dude that's a fucking awful noise, etc...

David Haywood

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:17:34 +1200

A different tone is impossible with the station sirens as they exist, because they’re mechanical. Big wind-up motors that make a noise as air passes through their baffles (or whatever they’re called). They need three-phase power to drive the motors, they’re so large.

I figured that this was how they…

David Haywood

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:02:50 +1200

Thansk everyone for all the kind thoughts and helpful facts and figures. Now that the sun is down I can get sufficient reception to reliably reply using my trusty phone.

Russell Brown wrote:

who wants to wait five minutes to find out whether it's a tsunami

It's not only that…

Jeremy Andrew

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:58:37 +1200

We had the same experience a few years ago while camping at Athenree – about 4 in the morning a siren goes off for minutes on end. We had no idea what was going on, or that there was a volunteer fire station a couple of hundred yards from the…

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:20:24 +1200

several local authorities have installed sirens and these are usually tested annually preceding public notification. These tests ensure residents are familiar with the sirens and evacuation procedures.

Call me queer or what have you, but to truly help folk (especially those of us with less than incandescent memory glands) familiarize…

Ross Mason

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:43:03 +1200

This was quick 50 minutes or so. But I have asked to see if it were possible to have a "Standard Tsunami Siren Warning". Since David aluuded to it and my email asked about it. But this reply does not address it.

From: Adrian Prowse [mailto:Adrian.Prowse@dia.govt.nz]
Sent: Thursday, 7 April…

chris

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:12:49 +1200

Welcome to provincial New Zealand. Hope you get a good rest tonight Sir.

David Haywood

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:04:39 +1200

Very hard to reply at length via cellphone, but many thanks for all the helpful comments particularly Matthew and Ross. Will attempt to reply at length tonight when lack of sunspots (or whatever) gives me a stronger cellphone signal. Thanks also to Glenn for cheering me up! Cheers, David

Ross Mason

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:49:01 +1200

I have found the page that you should have looked for on the net Jen and David.

Why didn't you check that first???? Tut tut tut. (BTW, it took me 30 minutes to find it!!)

"Sirens will sound for an extended period (IN EXCESS OF 5 MINUTES). Brigade…

Jacqui Dunn

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:30:52 +1200

I think it's probably the man who's the jinx, as he had a previous disaster that didn't include his missus.

BenWilson

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:29:11 +1200

LOL, those guys could probably extort money from Governments to just stay away.

Glenn Pearce

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:21:06 +1200

I'd have laughed at this if it didn't indicate just how rattled you all are.

On the up side, you've got a way to go to catch up with these poor buggers ;-)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10717660

BenWilson

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:58:00 +1200

So the guys tearing off next door were probably firemen?

Nice to hear from you again, the bach sounds like just the ticket for disaster recovery. Sans false tsunami warnings, of course.

Geoff Lealand

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:20:02 +1200

Papamoa has some of the most hideous mansions in NZ. Great,thundering monstrosities with a view of the dunes across the road or, alternatively, their neighbour's bathroom window.

Ross Mason

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:06:43 +1200

I know the loop precisely! There is only one route into and out of Cooks Beach and you didn't find it! Obviously an April Fooler turned one of the signs around.....?

At least there is a bit of a dune along most of the beach. Vis a vis Papamoa where…

Matthew Poole

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:22:07 +1200

As she said, who wants to wait five minutes to find out whether it’s a tsunami?

Five minutes could be two or three minutes too late. In Japan, that would've cut in half the length of time some people had to get to higher ground.

Matthew Poole

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:21:05 +1200

Quite why, I do not know, because they all have pagers and cellphones.

Pagers and cellphones are not infallible. I've been on the end of a Fire Service pager, and they don't always work even in the middle of Auckland. Text messages can take hours, or days, or never arrive…

Russell Brown

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:20:08 +1200

I saw Jen's tweet about this this morning and thought, that's a crazy way to signal a tsunami alert. As she said, who wants to wait five minutes to find out whether it's a tsunami?

Geoff Lealand

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:18:55 +1200

David: Oh,dear. But Cooks Beach is sort of in our neck of the woods so if you are passing through Hammy, do drop by for a cup of tea and piece of cake. We promise no sirens or sundry alarms and only the occasional cat meow. Best to avoid 15-18…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:52:47 +1200

Ok so it takes disasters or the threat of disasters to get you to write.

Aren't you taking the tortured novelist schtick a bit far?

Lovely to hear from you though and I hope you are finding it possible to enjoy the beach days.

Matthew Poole

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:22:09 +1200

A different tone is impossible with the station sirens as they exist, because they're mechanical. Big wind-up motors that make a noise as air passes through their baffles (or whatever they're called). They need three-phase power to drive the motors, they're so large.

What they need is different sirens for…

Jacqui Dunn

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:20:16 +1200

So that's where you are, David! I'm glad you're all safe and OK, even if rattled.

Megan Wegan

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:30:40 +1200

And, no officer, David Haywood can’t remember the guy’s name – or even, come to think about it, what pub he was in.

Is admitting excess drunkenness really your best bet in that situation, David?

But very pleased to hear from you again, even in less than ideal circumstances. I…

Jackie Clark

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:26:26 +1200

Oh, love. My mum lives in Kumeu and they too have this siren for when the fire peoples is needed. Quite why, I do not know, because they all have pagers and cellphones. Possibly in the Coromandel, they do not. In Kumeu, apparently it's so traffic knows that there are…

Ben Austin

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:56:17 +1200

I for one am glad your adrenaline can be converted into blog posts. This seems like a responsible and productive diversion

Public Address

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:56:17 +1200

Discussion from blog post.