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Fire Siren Activated by an Electrical Fault
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Despite a couple of occasions when the fire siren at Waikuku Beach has sounded over the past few weeks, the problem has been electrical rather than combustible.
The unscheduled sounding of the siren led to some unease amongst Waikuku Beach residents, more particularly on the 14th of August when the weather was particularly bad. In addition the fire siren remained on for an extended period of time, leading some people to interpret it as a possible tsunami warning. As events turned out neither fire nor flood was the issue – an electrical fault has developed with the siren’s system, which caused it to activate and stay on.
The fault may lie anywhere in the system, which involves three separate trigger points in various geographic locations - one in Christchurch, one at the siren site and another local switch. Due to its complexity the repair will require specialised electrical knowledge of the system. Although urgency has been requested in the repair of the siren system no date can yet be confirmed.
“In terms of alerting the Rural Fire Service in the event of a fire, this siren itself is outdated and, strictly speaking, no longer necessary”, says Council’s Property Manager, Gary Saunders. “Rural Fire Service personnel all have a pager these days, which is quicker, far more reliable and more effective in marshalling the resources needed to combat any fire. However, the siren is a reassurance to the community and also can be brought into service by Civil Defence in the event of a tsunami – to do that it must be working effectively”.
Further information:
Gary Saunders
Property Manager
Phone: (03) 311 8900 or (03) 327 6834
Email: gary.saunders@wmk.govt.nz
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