So, sorting the four foot stack of fall catalogs (this week's assortment) I find an interesting spread in the Solutions calalog that offers "emergency" products. One handy item is a "Talking Alarm" like a hand held radio. It is supposed to warn you of severe weather, etc. We've all seen these. But there something new added in the copy - it says, "When there is a tornado, hurricane or blizzard alert, or a toxic/hazardous materials incident, this All Hazards Emergency Alert Monitor will turn on automatically when it receives a NOAA emergency alert broadcast." A HAZARDS MATERIALS INCIDENT?????

Never saw that possibility included before.

-- April (Alwzapril@home.com), October 29, 1999

Answers

April

I have a NOAA weather radio - it also has HAZ MAT warnings on it - I don't think this is new - I've had my radio for several years,

-- Lornna Mitchell (doone@digital.net), October 29, 1999.

You are reading WAY too much into that.

-- (_@_._), October 29, 1999.

"--" How can "April" possibly read too much into that? It's right there in black and white. Since *when* are we being warned about hazardous materials in the same breath as a tornados, hurricanes, etc.?

GawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwD!!!!

-- mar (derigueur2@aol.com), October 29, 1999.

Dummy, they aren't saying IT WILL HAPPEN. They are giving people a way to be better informed. When natural disasters happen the alarm goes off. Now that includes HAZMAT accidents. But for you obviously that means conspiracy.

You don't LIKE the idea of being informed of a hazmat problem? Or is it just that your getting scared of shadows?

-- (_@_._), October 29, 1999.

Doomers thrive on bad news and will interpret anything as having to do with Y2K.

-- (Geez@duh.com), October 29, 1999.

Ohh, come on, you two. I'm just saying SINCE WHEN did they add this new Hazards warning...?

BTW: I don't believe in conspiracies. I don't think any .gov body is smart enough to pull one off.

-- mar (derigueur2@aol.com), October 29, 1999.

Since the world moved out of the 1800's.

It's called life, read into it.

-- (_@_._), October 29, 1999.

The "All Hazards Emergency Alert Monitor" repersents the next generation in alert technology since it is sensitive to the NEW EBS standards. These standards allow NOAA/NWS (and OTHER AGENCIES) to allert down to the specific county/community for weather and other hazards events. This wsa started in about 1998, as the Weather Service progressed to automated warnings and watches.

Or at least that was when they started in Cleveland. the system was being phased in last summer, in Cleveland. I watched the NWS folks working on it several times that summer and this summer as they issued sever weather alerts.

It is a fairly neat system, since it allows you to tell your monitor which community you want to receive messages for, etc.

AS far as using the NOAA/EBS system to alert for hazards other than severe weather, this has ALWAYS (errr since the start of the EBS/NOAA system) been a possibility. (Discussed this possibility in 1979 with a County EMA Manager in No. NY)

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 29, 1999.

"It's called life, read into it."

Hmmmmm? Huhhhhhhhhh? Wha-a-a-a??????

-- mar (derigueur2@aol.com), October 29, 1999.

Wellllllllllllll allow me to add fuel to this discourse by descibing the other products on this two page spread. The comments in brackets are mine. 1. "Don't be left in the dark or cut off from news in a power outage"self powered AM/FM radio 2. Complete tool kit fits easily in a kitchen drawer 3. Talking Alarm - All Hazard Monitor 4. Gas light burns for up to 10 hours 5. 100 hours of light for your family the next time your power goes off. 6. Run your household appliances when the electricity is out - a compact rechargeable power source. [I debated about buying this one] 7. The ideal emergency flashlight no batteries needed ever 8.Compact cooking kit offer up to 6 hours of heat for cooking or warmth. 9. Watch news, sports and movies anywhere - this TV fits in a tote bag - tune to local VHF and UHF TV channels plus FM radio - water resistant. [Small enough to fit in a bug-out bag?]

I am sort of a catalog connoisseur and receive and frequently use catalogs - dozens of them - I am familiar with the products available and the marketing techniques (I used to be involved in producing them). In the past several months, in a number of standard catalogs (not the survival ones) there has been a trend toward "emergency" products, usually grouped in a two page spread. This could be nothing more than seizing opportunity...or it could be an indicator. Much research goes into the products that actually make it to print. Only those that promise to elicit solid response are included.

BTW, I am not offended by being referred to as a doomer. Given the intelligent, independent thinking contributed by the regulars on this forum - I'm honored to be counted among you. Call me a doomer, if it makes you feel better, but what I really am is a realist -like everyone else who understands what is at hand.

-- April (Alwzapril@home.com), October 29, 1999.