Margate to test Emergency Alert System, at noon Wednesday, Dec. 14.
MARGATE - The city will test its Emergency Alert System at noon, Wednesday, Dec. 14, Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator Chuck LaBarre said.
Residents should not be alarmed when they hear the alert. It is only a test of the system, which was installed to alert the public in the event of an emergency.
The test consists of three emergency alert tones followed by voice instructions. The sounds will emanate from three speakers located at the top of poles at the city's two fire stations and the Sigmund Rimm Athletic Complex on Jerome Avenue. The alerts will last for about three minutes with a pre-recorded message approved by the Federal Communication Commission.
The emergency alert system is a far-reaching way to alert residents in the event of impending danger from storms, flooding or other public safety crisis.
The warning system is a resiliency measure that helps to maintain Margate's score in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System, which provides residents with discounts on the cost of flood insurance.
Residents in close proximity to the speakers may find the announcements to be loud, but the benefits of the early warning system outweigh the occasional inconvenience.
