Police, emergency dispatchers getting
overwhelmed during monthly tests
By:Alec Moore
Manville is spending $21,000 on new signs designed to prevent the Police Department and county 911 dispatchers from being bombarded with frantic phone calls from residents each time the borough’s emergency siren is tested.
The purpose of the seven new signs each costing $3,000 is to inform residents to tune in to 1700 AM on their radios whenever they hear the emergency siren. Residents then will be given instructions on whether it is an actual emergency, or just a test, and what actions they should take.
"They’re just to let people know what to do when the siren is activated," said Emergency Management Coordinator Ken Otrimski.
For the past year, Mr. Otrimski says the Police Department and the county’s central dispatch unit have been continually inundated with phone calls, moments after the borough’s siren test at noon on the first Saturday of each month.
"We’re still having problems with people, not knowing what to do when they hear the sirens," said Mr. Otrimski, pointing out that the Police Department received about 30 calls within five minutes of this month’s siren test while the county’s central dispatch unit 911 received about a dozen.
"Hopefully (the signs) will help alleviate all these phone calls," he said, emphasizing that for both the police and the county, the rapid influx of such a large volume of calls places a strain on both dispatching systems and the personnel manning them.
The signs, which are currently on order and expected to be installed within the next several weeks, will be posted at the Manville border on Wilhousky Street, North and South Main street, Camplain Road, Brooks Boulevard, Dukes Parkway and Kennedy Boulevard. The signs will feature flashing lights, powered by a solar battery, and wording directing people to tune to 1700 AM if they hear the sirens or in the event of an emergency.
Mr. Otrimski further emphasized that, while he wants residents to be aware that noon on the first Saturday of the month is the designated testing time, he does not want them to become jaded about the siren test.
"They shouldn’t take for granted that it’s a test," he said, emphasizing that even if residents are aware of the test, they should still tune in to the radio station to confirm that there is not an actual emergency.
"They should tune in to the radio station where they’ll hear a message from me announcing that it’s just the monthly siren test," he said.

