Avalon Alarms

Avalon to make public-alert siren less alarming
By BRIAN IANIERI Staff Writer, (609) 463-6713
Published: Saturday, December 24, 2005

Updated: Saturday, December 24, 2005AVALON-The borough will replace its three aging public-alert speakers with ones that will not scare the living heck out of those nearby, Avalon's chief of Emergency Medical Services said Friday.Kevin Scarpa said volume control is one of the features of a new system that costs about $57,000 and is scheduled for installation in January.For public alerts, the current speakers sound a startling, immediate blast, like someone honking a car horn while you walk past, Scarpa said. The new speakers will gradually increase volume."These new ones will have a volume control so we'll stop scaring these people and animals out of their underwear," Scarpa said. "The people that live near in the summer actually despise it because of the startling noise, not because how loud it gets."Avalon has three speakers distributed throughout the city, used to alert volunteer firefighters and also capable of public-address announcements, such as tidal flooding or high winds, Scarpa said.Those speakers, bought 13 years ago, have deteriorated, mainly due to the harsh salt air, he said.Scarpa said the new alarms can convey voice messages uploaded from a personal computer. The voice messages can also be timed at intervals at each speaker to eliminate the "echo effect" that the distance between the speakers and the sound of speed creates, he said.The speakers can be used in conjunction with Avalon's 1630 AM station for information on weather and emergency conditions.The speakers will remain at the same locations -13th, 30th, and 67th streets -, Scarpa said.Avalon Borough Council approved the purchase at a meeting earlier this month.

To e-mail Brian Ianieri at The Press:BIanieri@pressofac.com