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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2001.03.21 - 26466March 22, 2001-- MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #01090 BY: PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE, David L. Moffitt, Chairperson IN RE: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT — Outdoor Warning System Plan — Past, Present, and Future TO: THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Mr. Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners by Miscellaneous Resolution No.'s 7865, 7971, and 8664 accepted federal grants to defray a portion of the costs in purchasing sirens to be utilized within the Oakland County Tornado Warning System; and WHEREAS consistent with numerous previously executed purchase agreements, Oakland County accepted ownership of the county tornado sirens and agreed to be responsible for their maintenance; and WHEREAS sixty-seven percent of the sirens are aging and parts are becoming difficult to obtain; and WHEREAS seventy-four percent of the sirens do not have battery back-up, nor a two way monitoring system; and WHEREAS the Outdoor Warning System Plan includes recommendations to upgrade the siren system within seven years in order to obtain a state-of-the-art system. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners authorize the implementation of the Outdoor Warning System Plan — Past, Present, and Future Plan. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the funding be provided from the designated equity fund for the replacement of aging sirens and battery replacement of newer sirens, and for the addition of a permanent part-time, non-eligible position to assist with the program. CHAIRPERSON, on behalf of the Public Services Committee, I move the adoption of the foregoing resolution. PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE Public Services Committee Vote: Motion carried on unanimous roll call vote with Garfield, Buckley and Coleman absent. OAKLAND COUNTY OUTDOOR WARNING SYSTEM PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE Mission: The purpose of this document is to thoughtfully plan for the replacement and improvement of the Oakland County Outdoor Warning System. February 2001 Past Tornadoes in Michigan: An average of 16 tornadoes strikes Michigan each year; 6 of them in southeast Michigan. In 1997, 15 people were killed when 14 lethal tornadoes ripped through southeast Michigan. As a result of the Flint-Beecher tornado, which killed 116 people in Flint in 1953, Michigan still ranks in the top-ten list of the nation's most deadly tornadoes. Tornadoes in Oakland County: On May 25,1896 a tornado struck in Oakland (Ortonville) & Lapeer counties resulting in 47 deaths and 100 injuries. Since 1950 Oakland County has experienced 27 tornadoes, resulting in 78 injuries and 3 deaths. Some of the major touchdowns include: • West Bloomfield (1976) 1 death, and 55 injuries. • Novi (1987) 1 death, 6 injuries, 138 people homeless, and $1.7 million in damages • Novi (1990) several minor injuries, and $1.8 million in damages • Springfield Township (1997) 1 death, several injuries, 26 homes destroyed, over 100 people homeless, and over $2 million in damages Oakland County Tornado Siren Program History: The Oakland County Outdoor Warning System was established in 1977, following the 1976 tornado that struck West Bloomfield. At that time the federal government offered to fund 50% of the cost of sirens, the County paid 25%, and the local government was responsible for 25%. That year 76 sirens were installed. Seventy-five of these sirens are still in use today, representing 38% of our total siren system (see attachment A — Siren Installation History). Participation in the system was, and still is, voluntary. Eventually the Federal share ended, but the County continues to maintain their 25% cost- share. As stipulated in the current purchase agreement (attachment B) the County retains ownership of the sirens and is responsible for repairs and maintenance. In addition, Emergency Management staff coordinates the purchase and installation of the siren on behalf of the municipality. The local units of government are responsible for monitoring their sirens during tests and reporting results back to Emergency Management staff so necessary work orders can be initiated. Local officials determine the siren location and subsequent re-locations are their expense. 2 Present Siren Demographics/Mechanics: As of January 2001, the tornado siren system consists of 197 sirens. A letter was sent to all local units of government on January 10 th asking that they inform Emergency Management of their intention to purchase additional sirens this year. To date, Oakland Township has committed to installing three additional sirens. It is anticipated that more commitments will be forthcoming. Oakland Township's three sirens will bring the total to 200 once they are installed. A breakdown of the various tornado siren models and their percentage of the entire system are depicted below: Model Quantity Percent of Total Thunderbolt 132 67% 2001 36 18% Modified 14 7% Two-Way/2001 15 8% Total 197 100% Thunderbolt sirens are the oldest sirens in the system. These sirens are easily recognized by their large yellow horn (see attachment C - Photo of Thunderbolt). Mechanically, these sirens function when an air compressor motor pushes high-volume, low-pressure air up through a 3" pipe to the siren head generating the sound. A rotator assembly causes the horn to rotate, thus spreading the sound 360 degrees. The sound starts out at 124 decibels and ends up at 68-70 decibels of residual sound at the edge of a 4500-foot radius; just short of one mile. A radio receiver is attached to the pole (the bulk of the sirens are pole- mounted, a few are roof-mounted) When the sirens are activated/canceled this receiver "hears" the command and relays the information causing the siren to react. These sirens are not equipped with battery back up; they are hard-wired directly to an electrical transformer (usually Detroit Edison). The 2001 model sirens replaced the Thunderbolts in mid-1991. These gray sirens are smaller and generally more aesthetically pleasing than the Thunderbolts (see attachment ttac_ment D - Photo of 2001). The 2001 sirens operate much the same as the Thunderbolts except they do not have an air compressor function. A motor-rotator assembly generates the sound by making and breaking airwaves. These sirens are considered superior to the Thunderbolt in that they are equipped with battery back-up capability in addition to being hard-wired. The batteries will allow the siren to function for 15 minutes in the event of AC power loss. A typical activation lasts 3 minutes. The 2001 siren starts out at 127 decibels and ends up at 68-70 decibels of residual sound at the edge of a 5200 foot radius; approximately one mile. Modified sirens are usually older model fire department sirens that have been "modified" to house a County radio receiver, enabling the siren to activate/cancel in conjunction with the rest of the siren system. The County is responsible for the repairs and maintenance of the radio receiver only. The local unit of government owns the remainder of the siren. 3 Modified sirens come in a variety of models and generally cover approximately a 2000-foot radius. Attachment E displays a few examples. Two-way, 2001 model sirens are identical to the regular 2001 model except they have the ability to transmit data back to a computer terminal. This siren is considered state-of-the- art and is where the industry is headed. The type of data the siren can transmit back includes: • Confirmation of activation • Confirmation of cancellation • AC Power loss • Cabinet intrusion/tampering • Low Battery Two-way, 2001 sirens eliminate the need for having an individual physically present to confirm activation; thus relieving the local municipality of the responsibility to monitor their sirens unless specifically asked to do so. In addition, repairs can be initiated based on transmitted data, which is more timely and efficient than discovering repair is needed because a siren did not activate during a monthly test. In the summer of 2000 the County began purchasing two-way sirens. Currently 15 two-way sirens are in the final stages of installation. It is anticipated that the two-way system will be fully operational by March, 2001. All Thunderbolt and 2001 model sirens rotate. Another model of tornado siren that does not rotate is the "Omni-Directional." Because these sirens do not turn, the office of Emergency Management investigated whether or not repairs would be minimized since there would be fewer mechanical parts to fail. After thorough research it was determined that purchasing Omni-Directional sirens was not in the best interest of Oakland County (see attachment F —Omni-Directional Vs 2001). All sirens are activated simultaneously via a radio signal from either the office of Emergency Management (primary) or Oakland County Safety (back up). The sirens are not designed to be activated in segments. While a few communities have elected to install an override function, allowing them to activate their own sirens, only Groveland has the staffing, dissemination, and radar equipment to support their decision. These communities were concerned about weather moving in to their areas from adjacent counties. For example, if Genesee County has a tornado warning and Oakland does not, Groveland may activate to warn their "border" population. There is a primary and an alternate base station for activation ensuring a back-up site in the event of failure. Both sites are tested during regularly scheduled siren tests. The Oakland County tornado siren system is an outdoor warning system; it is not intended to be heard indoors. Indoor warning systems include radio, television, NOAA weather radios, and County-activated tone alert receivers 4 Activation Criteria: The sirens are activated for tornado warnings only. They are not activated for a tornado watch, which means conditions are favorable but there is no confirmation of a tornado. Typically the office of Emergency Management waits for the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a tornado warning. If the NWS is hesitant to issue a warning Emergency Management staff is authorized to activate the sirens under the following criteria: • A tornado is confirmed by two trained Skywarn spotters • A tornado is confirmed by one trained Skywarn spotter and two non-spotters (fire/police/citizen) • A tornado is confirmed by three non-spotters (fire/police/citizen) In addition to field reports, staff considers radar information, surrounding counties' warnings, and damage/injury reports. Recently Emergency Management investigated the need for activating the sirens in the event of straight-line winds in excess of 70 mph. The issue is on hold pending further research. Siren Tests: The sirens are tested monthly from March through November (see attachment G—Siren Test Schedule). As mentioned above, the local municipalities are responsible for monitoring their sirens and reporting the results. Until recently, this was an informal agreement and not documented in the purchase agreement. Historically, the office of Emergency Management has not received reliable cooperation for monitoring; therefore the purchase agreement was revised by Corporation Counsel to include a retroactive clause specifically outlining this local responsibility. In addition, a letter was sent to all municipalities in May 2000 reminding them of their responsibility to monitor their sirens and the importance of accurately reporting necessary repairs. Immediately after sending the letter Emergency Management saw some improvement; since that time results have been mixed (see attachment H—Siren Monitoring Results). The failure of the municipalities to monitor their sirens during tests has been a significant problem. Sirens that go unmonitored for months directly affects the quality and reliability of the siren program. To help combat this problem, letters are sent to the administrative arm of each municipality after every siren test to inform them of the results. These letters indicate which sirens, if any, malfunctioned and if any sirens went unmonitored. Likewise, a letter is sent when the sirens have been repaired. Beginning in 2001, Emergency Management will also post the above information on their web site. A dedicated group of Amateur Radio Public Safety Corp (ARPSC) volunteers assists each month with siren monitoring. This group typically monitors an average of 20% of the sirens (see attachment I—ARPSC Monitoring Results). The office of Emergency Management coordinates this effort so that "hot sirens" (those recently repaired or installed) are sure to be monitored. It should be stressed that ARPSC members volunteer their time and resources each month and Emergency Management cannot predict their level of assistance, nor depend on it. 5 A trial "Adopt-a-Siren" program was initiated last fall. This program involves asking a civic group (Chamber of Commerce, Boy and Girl Scouts, Knights of Columbus, etc.) to agree to accept responsibility for monitoring "adopted" sirens and reporting results. In appreciation, the County and the local unit of government can publicly recognize the group for their participation, issue certificates, etc. In the instance of boy and girl scouts, badges may be earned for this activity. Emergency Management staff plans to encourage local municipalities, especially those who have difficulty monitoring sirens, to develop this initiative. Geographic Information System: Information Technology, in cooperation with Emergency Management is developing a comprehensive software application for managing all historical information about the tornado sirens. This program will include GIS features such as digital photographs of all sirens and their corresponding global position satellite (GPS) coordinates. This data will allow staff to visualize each siren from a computer terminal and to accurately map the performance radius and location of each siren. While this will improve future placement of new sirens and requested relocations, Emergency Management staff does not feel reconfiguring existing siren placement is realistic. This is due to concerns expressed by local municipalities and the complications inherent (hostile residents) in siren placement. To date, 182 sirens have been photographed and their GPS coordinates plotted (see attachment J— Siren Map). As new sirens are added the database will be updated. In addition to providing siren visualization and mapping features, the database will be designed to store, track, and maintain historical information such as: • Contact information for municipalities and vendors (name, address, telephone numbers, e-mail address) • Siren demographics (location, model, year installed, height, range, antenna type) • Repair history (type of repairs made, cost, dates, preventative maintenance) • Testing results (Sounded, rotated, monitored, letters sent) Information Technology is currently developing the storyboards (how the computer screens will appear) for the application software (attachment K). They are anticipating launching the program this spring. Project Impact Grant: On July 13, 2000 Emergency Management submitted a pre-application for "Project Impact" funding. Emergency Management's proposal indicated that the funding would be utilized to upgrade our existing tornado siren system. The grant was channeled through the State's Emergency Management Division to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). By fall, Oakland County was notified that they had been chosen 6 as FEMA's Project Impact Community for Michigan. The grant provided $300,000 with a $100,000 match. At an initial meeting with FEMA, staff learned that only a portion of the grant money would be approved for tornado siren upgrading. FEMA indicated that they wanted more of the proposal to focus on mitigation efforts than preparedness efforts. To better understand FEMA's requirements staff attended a three-day Project Impact conference. It was apparent after attending the conference that participation, under FEMA's terms, would involve considerably more time and manpower than initially thought. In light of this new information, Emergency Management plans to request that FEMA accept the grant as written. In the event FEMA denies this request other grants will be pursued. Procedures: Siren installation procedures were recently reviewed and updated. A procedural checklist was created outlining each step in the installation process. This checklist will provide for consistent and thorough follow-through. Two new components were added to the installation procedures: 1) including Oakland County Radio personnel in site visits to ensure radio transmissions will be adequate, and 2) obtaining permits from Oakland County Road Commission which allows staff to learn of future plans for road expansions, etc. The procedures for testing the sirens were also reviewed. Every Emergency Management staff member performs this multi-faceted task, in some part. To avoid confusion about roles, the procedures were outlined and assigned. Each staff member provided input and has a final copy for their reference. The procedure for record retention is currently being refined. Historically, siren related documents were filed by municipality. Therefore, in order to locate a document regarding a specific siren, staff had to wade through all accumulated records for every siren in a given community. Records are now in the process of being sorted by individual siren and placed in separate binders. This change will increase future efficiency. As mentioned previously, the purchase agreement has been updated by Corporation Counsel and now clearly assigns local responsibility for monitoring sirens during tests. Concerns: Emergency Management staff has recently researched a number of tornado siren issues. Below is an explanation of each issue and a subsequent recommendation: Issue #1 - General Aging of Sirens: As noted in Attachment A, 38% of the entire siren system is 23 years old. Repairs costs increase an average of 20% annually (See a ;I ttac—ment L — Siren Costs Histoly). The aging of siren components is directly linked to failure to activate and false activation. While both of these situations severely diminish the credibility of the program and cause public annoyance, the liability and possible loss of life resulting from a faulty siren is a critical issue. 7 The manufacturer's anticipated life expectancy of the sirens is 25 years. In reality, these sirens have been known to function for the better part of 40 years if replacement parts can be obtained. The availability of parts is the true issue for the County's aging siren system. The Thunderbolt siren has not been manufactured since the early 1990's, and new parts have not been available since 1992-1993. Major repairs that have been needed since that time have been accomplished through the use of used parts. The County's siren repair and installation vendor is West Shore Services, Inc. of Allendale, Michigan (near Grand Rapids). The next closest authorized service vendor is in Chicago. West Shore believes they have a sufficient inventory of used parts to maintain our Thunderbolts, comfortably, for 5 more years. After that, it is their belief that obtaining parts will become more difficult and take longer, possibly delaying a repair by months. If the County is willing to tolerate lengthy repairs, West Share believes they can continue to service the Thunderbolt sirens for a maximum of ten years. Secondly, the Thunderbolt sirens do not have a battery hack-up feature. This means if the power goes out the siren cannot activate. The cost of retrofitting these sirens so that they have a battery function is astronomical. Essentially it can only be done by purchasing a generator for each site, constructing a building to house the generator, and implementing a maintenance schedule for the generator. West Shore estimates this would cost in excess of $15,000 per siren (132 sirens X $15,000 = $1,980,000). Comparatively, a new 2001 siren costs approximately $17,500. Lastly, the Thunderbolt sirens are not equipped with two-way monitoring. As mentioned previously, this option would eliminate the need for physically monitoring the siren and allows for more timely and efficient repairs. Retrofitting these sirens with this feature is relatively easy and would cost approximately $4,600 per site (132 sirens X $4, 600 = $607,200). Recommendation: Emergency Management staff recommends that all Thunderbolt sirens be replaced with the two-way, 2001 model siren at a rate of 20 per year over the next 6 'A years. These sirens currently cost approximately $17,500 each. Assuming the siren placement will not change, there should not be any added electrical costs, such as transformers. Additionally, it is recommended that those Thunderbolts requiring major repair be replaced with a new siren instead, thereby avoiding the risk of paying a large repair bill on a siren that was eventually going to be replaced anyway. Since 1992, an average of 2.6 major repairs has occurred per year, with the trend being distinctly upward (see attachment L — Siren Costs History). Based in this information staff believes a minimum of 5 additional sirens may be needed each year. Staff also recommends that quantity pricing be negotiated with West Shore Services and Federal Signal Corporation. Furthermore, it is believed that there may be a viable market for re-selling the Thunderbolts. The County's vendor, as well as others, may be highly motivated to "buy-back" the Thunderbolts as it will prolong their ability to provide parts to their customers. Staff plans to research the resale value of the Thunderbolts. The only exception to this recommendation is that the County retains and stores (through materials 8 management) at least 8 of the Thunderbolt sirens removed, as insurance, in the event funding for future replacements is denied. Maintaining this inventory would supply roughly 2-3 years of parts. The worst-case replacement price of $17,500 per siren would cost $350,000 per year for the next 6 years and $210,000 the final year. The annual average for replacing 5 sirens needing major repairs is $87,500. Depending on the number of major repair instances in the next 5-6 years the replacement schedule may be shortened by a year or more. Staff recommends that the 20 siren replacements be made in late fall each year. This allows the communities to have full use of their sirens during peak tornado season and West Shore is better able to handle a project of this scope when they have downtime in the fall. Sirens to be replaced will be chosen according to the following schedule: • First replace sirens that have historically had chronic problems • Once all problematic sirens have been replaced, continue replacements based on date of original installation with the oldest sirens replaced first • Do not re-configure siren placements (See GIS —page 6) This replacement schedule will allow the County to avoid paying a large repair bill and then possibly scrapping that very siren the next year. It will also allow known "problem" sirens to be addressed first. Lastly, replacing the remaining sirens based on age is the fairest way to treat the municipalities. It should also be noted that for each Thunderbolt siren that is replaced by a 2001 model an additional 700 feet of coverage is provided. Issue #2 - Upgrading Existing 2001Sirens: As noted above, staff proposed that a portion of Project Impact funds be used to retrofit the existing 2001 model sirens with two-way monitoring capability. These 36 sirens represent 18% of the total siren population. The cost per siren is approximately $5,707 X 36 sirens = $205,452. Upgrading these sirens would help alleviate monitoring problems previously mentioned. Recommendation: Emergency Management staff recommends that the existing 2001 sirens be retrofitted with two-way monitoring capability. If FEMA does not approve Project Impact funds for this undertaking other grants should be pursued. Issue #3 — Battery Replacement: West Shore recommends that the siren batteries be replaced every 4 years. Each 2001 siren contains 4 marine batteries. The labor and materials to replace batteries at each site is approximately $450. There are currently 11 sirens that need batteries replaced. This will cost 11 X $450 = $4,950. Recommendation: Emergency Management Staff recommends that the following battery replacement scheduled be followed and maintained. Replacement tracking will be accomplished through the repair history database currently being developed. 9 Year Sirens Number of Sirens Budget Year Cost Installed Needing Batteries 1997 and earlier 11 2000-2001 $4,950 1998 10 2001-2002 $4,500 1999 12 2002-2003 $5,400 2000 16 2003-2004 $7,200 2001 And so on... Issue #4 — Preventative Maintenance: In 1999 Emergency Management staff initiated a formal preventative maintenance schedule for the sirens. This plan divided the County into quadrants, each representing approximately 25% of the sirens. To date, two quadrants have been completed. The remaining two quadrants are scheduled to be completed by summer, 2001. The funds for this have already been allocated into the 2000-2001 budget. Recommendation: Emergency Management staff recommends that preventative maintenance for the sirens be a permanent activity and budgeted for annually. The cost per siren is approximately $250. Additionally, staff suggests that future preventative maintenance checks be based on the age of the siren. The following represents the recommended maintenance schedule beginning in 2002: Age of Siren Preventative Maintenance Check 20 years or older Annually 12-19 years Every two years 11 years or less Every three years Naturally, this schedule will be impacted by the siren replacement plan outlined above. Prior to the new budget year the number of sirens needing to be checked will be determined and budgeted for accordingly. The tracking function will be accomplished through the repair history database currently being developed. Issue #5 — Two-Way MonitorinQ Connectivity: Staff discovered that the newest two- way, 2001 sirens would require a separate radio frequency to function well. The existing frequency used to activate the sirens is shared with a large private agency that dispatches constantly. The constant radio communications are likely to corrupt the data being transmitted back to the computer terminal. After discussing the issue with Oakland County Radio staff, it was determined that an existing County frequency (operated from an old Sheriff's Department base station) is available for use. This frequency is licensed for "local government", offers 300 watts, and has a repeater pair. At this time it appears that there will be little or no cost involved in initially utilizing this frequency. Additionally, if the Sheriffs Department agrees to give Emergency Management the existing base station equipment a new base station will not need to be purchased (new equipment is estimated to cost $16,000). 10 As mentioned earlier, the existing siren activation system has a primary and an alternate base station. While this is not needed to make the new system operational, it does ensure activation in the event one site fails. In order to mirror this redundancy in the two-way system a second base station would have to be purchased at a cost of approximately $16,000. Recommendation: Emergency Management staff recommends that a second base station be purchased, ensuring the same level of security the existing system has. Also, in the event the Sheriff's Department is not willing to give Emergency Management the old base station, a new one must be purchased as a replacement. Issue #6 — Contract with West Shore Service, Inc.: Our current contract with West Shore will expire on December 31, 2002. For the most part West Shore does a good job. On occasion staff must "harass" them to respond in a timely manner. They have a major advantage over any other possible vendor as they have a 15-year emp:oyee that has been assigned responsibility for our system. This gentleman, a master electrician, literally knows our sirens inside and out. The problem is that he is approaching retirement. Other West Shore employees are neither as efficient nor as knowledgeable. To complicate matters further, this gentleman is a contract employee to West Shore (he is actually employed by Johnson Electric). In addition, West Shore has extremely specialized installation equipment designed specifically for installing and repairing sirens. Staff is concerned about the future quality of West Shore's service and the apparent lack of other qualified vendors. Lastly, West Shore is geographically closer to Oakland County than any other authorized Federal Signal (siren manufacturer) vendor; the next closest is in Chicago. Recommendation: A recommendation is pending. Emergency Management staff plans to spend the next 90 days researching possible alternatives and propose a final recommendation at that time. Issue #7 — Staffing: In June, 2000 a part-time, non-eligible (PTNE), emergency-salary position was filled to assist Emergency Management staff with the numerous new installations and issues regarding the tornado siren system. In years prior to this, management of the siren system was reactionary; there were not huge demands on staff's time. Between 1987-1997 requests for new sirens were minimal (see attachment A). Then with the occurrence of the 1997 Springfield tornado there was a surge in siren requests. (It should be noted that to achieve 100% coverage, countywide, approximately 86 additional sirens would need to be installed.) To compound matters, the aging sirens and the changing technology make it evident that Emergency Management needs to adopt a more pro-active posture. Lastly, the new database will be of little value if there are not sufficient staff to maintain it. Recommendation — Emergency Management staff recommends that the PINE emergency salary position be made permanent PTNE. The salary cost for 2000-2001 is approximately $21,500. This position would be primarily responsible for new installations, relocations, and implementing the recommendations outlined in this plan. Additionally, it is recommended that existing staff (roughly 1/2 clerical position and 1/2 11 User Support position) be responsible for support and oversight functions such as records and database maintenance, testing, repairs, processing purchase orders and invoices, and routine clerical work. In the event these positions are assigned other duties that will prevent them from supporting the siren program, additional staff will be needed. An executive summary of these issues, the subsequent recommendations, and known costs is provided on the following page. 12 Executive Summary of Siren Plan Issue . Recommendation Cost General Aging of 1) Replace Thunderbolts 1) $350,000 per year for 6 the Sirens years and $210,000 the final year 2) Replace Thunderbolts 2) $87,500 annually* needing major repairs (estimated at 5 annually) *Note: this may reduce item 1 by a year or more depending on the number of annual repairs that warrant replacement. Upgrading Add two-way monitoring None: Utilize Project Existing 2001 Sirens to 36 existing 2001 sirens Impact funds or other grant monies Battery Replacement Replace batteries at $5,000-7,000 annually four years depending on the number to be replaced _ Preventative Institute a permanent $250/siren based on Maintenance preventative maintenance criteria outlined; number schedule per year will vary Two-Way Monitoring Ensure a primary arid $16,000-$32,000 Connectivity secondary base station depending on Sheriff for activation Department's decision Contract with West Consider alternatives Unknown until final Shore Services, Inc. recommendation is made Staffing Make existing PTNE $21,500 annually for emergency salary PTNE position; additional position a permanent staffing funds will be PTNE position; ensure needed if existing total staffing for sirens is employees cannot be 1.5 positions committed to the siren program 13 Future To maintain Oakland County's position as an innovative, pro-active, responsible civic leader, the future of the tornado siren system must be thoughtfully considered and planned for. Unfortunately, this cannot be an exact science. Technology is a continuously changing, dynamic world and one can only plan with the knowledge currently available. Based on today's information, implementing the preceding plan will allow Oakland County's tornado siren program to be state-of-the-art in less than seven years. This does not mean our work is done; indeed it is only beginning. With this thought in mind it should be noted that this plan will be dynamic as well. Reconsideration and reevaluation will be constant. 14 Attachment A SIREN INSTALLATION HISTORY [ , Year Number Age in Percent of Purchased Installed Years Total 1977 75 23 38% 1978 8 22 4% 1979 4 21 2% 1980 13 20 7% 1981 12 19 6% 1982 2 18 1% 1983 7 17 4% 1984 4 16 2% 1985 1 15 0.5% 1986 10 14 5% 1987 2 13 1% 1988 2 12 1% 1989 0 1990 0 1991 4 2% 1992 3 1.5% 1993 0 1994 4 2% 1995 0 1996 1 4 1997 2 3 1% 1998 10 2 5% 1999 12 1 6% 2000 17 -1 8.5% 2001 4 new 2% TOTAL 197 100% Note: Birmingham replaced a modified 1977 siren in 2000 and Franklin replaced a modified 1986 siren in 2000. I I I I Attachment B SEVERE WEATHER WARNING SYSTEM INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN OAKLAND COUNTY AND [NAME OF MUNICIPALITY] This Interlocal Agreement ("the Agreement") is made between Oakland County, a Constitutional and Municipal Corporation, 1200 North Telegraph, Pontiac, Michigan 48341 ("County"), and [Name and Address of Municipality] ("Municipality"). In this Agreement, the County and the Municipality may also be referred to individually as "Party" or jointly as "Parties." PURPOSE OF AGREEMENT. Pursuant to the Urban Cooperation Act of 1967, 1967 PA 7, MCL 124.501 et seq., the County and the Municipality enter into this Agreement for the purpose of adding the Municipality to the County's outdoor warning system. In consideration of the mutual promises, obligations, representations, and assurances in this Agreement, the Parties agree to the following: 1. DEFINITIONS. The following words and expressions used throughout this Agreement, whether used in the singular or plural, within or without quotation marks, or possessive or non-possessive, shall be defined, read, and interpreted as follows. 1.1.Claim means any alleged loss, claim, complaint, demand for relief or damages, cause of action, proceeding, judgment, deficiency, liability, penalty, fine, litigation, costs, and/or expenses, including, but not limited to, reimbursement for reasonable attorney fees, witness fees, court costs, investigation expenses, litigation expenses, and amounts paid in settlement, which are imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against the County, its employees or agents, whether such Claim is brought in law or equity, tort, contract, or otherwise. 1.2.County means Oakland County, a Municipal and Constitutional Corporation including, but not limited to, any and all of its departments, divisions, the County Board of Commissioners, elected and appointed officials, directors, board members, council members, commissioners, authorities, committees, employees, agents, subcontractors, volunteers, and/or any such persons' successors. 1.3. Municipality means , a Constitutional Corporation including, but not limited to, its Council, any and all of its departments, its divisions, elected and appointed officials, directors, board members, council members, commissioners, authorities, committees, employees, agents, subcontractors, volunteers, and/or any such persons' successors. 2. COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, and applicable changes in law, the County shall provide the following: 2.1. Install siren(s) within the Municipality at the location(s) designated by the Municipality. 2.2. Provide for maintenance of the siren(s). 2.3. Provide for electrical costs of the siren(s). 3. MUNICIPALITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, and applicable changes in law, the Municipality shall provide the following: 3.1 Pay ($ ) for the installation of the sirens. Payment is to be made within thirty (30) days after installation of the siren. 3.2 Provide operational status reporting during the first Saturday of the month siren test (March through November). 3.3 Bear all costs associated with any siren relocation. 3.4 Municipality acknowledges that the County will retain ownership of the sirens. 3.5 To the maximum extent provided by law, if there is any amount past due under this Agreement, the Licensor has the right to set-off that amount from any amount due to the Municipality from the Licensor, including, but not limited to distributions from the Delinquent Tax Revolving Fund. 4. DURATION OF INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. 4.1. The Agreement and any amendments hereto shall be effective when executed by both Parties with concurrent resolutions passed by the governing bodies of each Party, and when the Agreement is filed with the Clerk of each County where the Parties are located. The Agreement shall be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Michigan pursuant to MCL 124.510. The approval and terms of this Agreement and any amendments hereto shall be entered in the official minutes of the governing bodies of each Party. 4.2. This Agreement shall remain in effect until cancelled or terminated by either Party pursuant to Section 10. 5. ASSURANCES. 5.1. Each Party shall be responsible for its own acts and the acts of its employees, agents, and subcontractors, the costs associated with those acts, and the defense of those acts. 6. TERMINATION OR CANCELLATION OF AGREEMENT. 6.1.Either Party may terminate or cancel this Agreement for any reason upon thirty (30) days notice before the effective date of termination or cancellation. The effective date for termination or cancellation shall be clearly stated in the notice. 6.2.The Parties shall not be obligated to pay a cancellation or termination fee, if this Agreement is cancelled or terminated as provided herein. Draft.1 7. SUSPENSION OF SERVICES. Upon notice to the Municipality, the County may immediately suspend this Agreement or the Municipality's participation in the outdoor warning system, if the Municipality has failed to reasonably comply, within the County's discretion, with federal, state, or local law, or any requirements contained in this Agreement. The right to suspend services is in addition to the right to terminate or cancel this Agreement contained in Section 10. The County shall incur no penalty, expense, or liability if services are suspended under this Section. 8. NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES. Except as provided for the benefit of the Parties, this Agreement does not and is not intended to create any obligation, duty, promise, contractual right or benefit, right to indemnification, right to subrogation, and/or any other right, in favor of any other person or Municipality. 9. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS. Each Party shali comply with all federal, state, and local statutes, ordinances, regulations, administrative rules, and requirements applicable to its activities performed under this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the policies, procedures, rules and regulations attached as Exhibits to this Agreement, and properly promulgated amendments to those Exhibits. 10. DISCRIMINATION. The Parties shall not discriminate against their employees, agents, applicants for employment, or another persons or entities with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, or any matter directly or indirectly related to employment in violation of any federal, state or local law. 11. PERMITS AND LICENSES. Each Party shall be responsible for obtaining and maintaining, throughout the term of this Agreement, all licenses, permits, certificates, and governmental authorizations for its employees and/or agents necessary to perform all its obligations under this Agreement. Upon request, a Party shall furnish copies of any permit, license, certificate or governmental authorization to the requesting Party. 12. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS. This Agreement does not, and is not intended to impair, divest, delegate, or contravene any constitutional, statutory, and/or other legal right, privilege, power, obligation, duty, or immunity of the Parties. 13. FORCE MAJEURE. Each Party shall be excused from any obligations under this Agreement during the time and to the extent that a Party is prevented from performing due to causes beyond such Party's control, including, but not limited to, an act of God, war, acts of government (other than the Parties'), fire, strike, labor disputes, civil disturbances, reduction of power source, or any other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the affected Party. Reasonable notice shall be given to the affected Party of any such event. 14. DELEGATION/SUBCONTRACT/ASSIGNMENT. A Party shall not delegate, subcontract, and/or assign any obligations or rights under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party. A delegation, subcontract and/or assignment made without the prior written consent of the other Party is void. Draft 1 15. NO IMPLIED WAIVER. Absent a written waiver, no act, failure, or delay by a Party to pursue or enforce any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall constitute a waiver of those rights with regard to any existing or subsequent breach of this Agreement. No waiver of any term, conditior, or provision of this Agreement, whether by conduct or otherwise, in one or more instances, shall be deemed or construed as a continuing waiver of any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement. No waiver by either Party shall subsequently effect its right to require strict performance of this Agreement. 16. SEVERABILITY. If a court of competent jurisdiction finds a term, or condition, of this Agreement to be illegal or invalid, then the term, or condition, shall be deemed severed from this Agreement. All other terms, conditions, and provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force. 17. CAPTIONS. The section and subsection numbers, captions, and any index to such sections and subsections contained in this Agreement are intended for the convenience of the reader and are not intended to have any substantive meaning. 18. NOTICES. Notices given under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be personally delivered, sent by express delivery service, certified mail, or first class U.S. mail postage prepaid, and addressed to the person listed below. Notice will be deemed given on the date when one of the following first occur: (1) the date of actual receipt; (2) the next business day when notice is sent express delivery service or personal delivery; or (3) three days after mailing first class or certified U.S. mail. 18.1. If Notice is set to the County, it shall be addressed and sent to: Oakland County Emergency Management, 1200 N. Telegraph, County Service Center, Pontiac, MI 48341 and Chairperson of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, 1200 North Telegraph, Building 12 East Pontiac, Michigan 48341. 18.2If Notice is sent to the Municipality, it shall be addressed to: The Chief Elected Official of the Municipality at the address listed on the first page of this Agreement. 18.3Either Party may change the address and/or individual to which Notice is sent by notifying the other Party in writing of the change. 19. GOVERNING LAW/CONSENT TO JURISDICTION. This Agreement shall be governed, interpreted, and enforced by the laws of the State of Michigan. Except as otherwise required by law or court rule, any action brought to enforce, interpret, or decide any Claim arising under or related to this Agreement shall be brought in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of the State of Michigan, the Fifth District Court of the State of Michigan, or the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, as dictated by the applicable jurisdiction of the court. 20. AGREEMENT MODIFICATIONS OR AMENDMENTS. Any modifications, amendments, recessions, waivers, or releases to this Agreement must be in writing and agreed to by both Parties. Unless otherwise agreed, the modification, amendment, recession, waiver, or release shall be signed by the Draft. 1 same persons who signed the Agreement or other persons as authorized by the Parties' governing body. 21. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement represents the entire Agreement and understanding between the Parties. This Agreement supercedes all other oral or written Agreements between the Parties including . The language of this Agreement shall be construed as a whole according to its fair meaning, and not construed strictly for or against any Party. The Parties have taken all actions and secured all approvals necessary to authorize and complete this Agreement. The persons signing this Agreement on behalf of each Party have legal authority to sign this Agreement and bind the Parties to the terms and conditions contained herein. Authorized Agent of Municipality Chairman, Board of Commissioners Date Draft.1 Attachment C kDD04 @000626162433N4252274W083121796 Attachment E Attachment F XVIII. Omni-Directional VS 2001 A. EM research in 1998 indicated 2001's were superior B. Current research supports 1998 data 1. Omni's cost about $10,000 more each 2. Omni's have a shorter range of coverage — would need more sirens to cover same geographical area (2001=10,400 feet, Omni=7500 feet) 3. Numerous communities are scrapping their Omni systems and replacing them with 2001's (Livonia, Owosso, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Brighton) 4. West Shore has not sold a Omni siren in Michigan for weather warning in the last 10 years — only bought for public address function) 5. Omni repair incidence is 13 times greater than 2001 6. Repairs are very expensive as electrical components cannot be fixed on site (diagnostic equipment is $50,000 and not many people have it); siren must be taken into the shop. 7. Average life is less than 25 years; do not handle lightening hits or power surges as well as 2001's 8. Battery "back-up" concept is not always true for Omni's — their primary power source is battery but unless they have been hardwired they do not have a secondary power source (ie: back-up) 2001's are hardwired and newest also have battery back-up. 9. Spoke with another EM person from Monroe that did his Master's Thesis on Outdoor Warning Systems; part of his own system (Fermi) is omni- directional; he considers both Thunderbolts and 2001's to be superior to Omni-directional 10. Repair technician felt that few instances of rotation motor failure did not warrant switching to Omni. Revised 10-4-00 M Tracey McGee 4 Attachment G /l)0.1 'i0 SIREN TEST CALENDAR Please be advised that Oakland County Emergency Management will be testing the outdoor warning siren system on the following dates in 2001: March 3 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month Special test in recognition of Severe April 3 Tuesday 1 0:30am Weather Awareness Week (SWAVV) April 7 Saturday Canceled Due to SWAW test earlier in week. May 5 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month - June 2 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month July 7 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month . August 4 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month _ 1 . September 1 Saturday 1pm First Saturday of the month October 6 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month November 3 Saturday 1 pm First Saturday of the month Note: Siren tests are not conducted during December, January, or February due to winter weather. n:/em ermgVemIsiren slca lend ar 2001.d oc 45 40 35 to 42 "10 -a 15. 25- 0 .— c 20 a) '2 15 10 5 0 Attachment H Siren Monitoring Results-2000 March SWA Week July Month Tested August September October November May June March SWA Week July Month Tested August September October November May June Attachment I Sirens Monitored ARPSC Monitoring Results-2000 Attachment J Oakland County Siren Coverage (197 sirens) Date: 21 1 3/0 1 41 Oakland County Siren Maintenance beta 1.0.0 '41 Lx ' Qui; Siren Information 1 Contact Information -'Search ,Tools r Search by Name Attachment K LOcatiori:. „ i'.• le. :. i'. i n • ii• i! Seárçh by CVT- • X Coordinate: T— Y Coordinate: Coordinate Method: Model. Height. fl Range: Monitor: Mounting: - [-- Antenna: „ Year Installed: - Conditions: ' Save Edits to 0_irt'6n Last Passed Test: NON Attachment L West Shore Services - Siren Repair Cost History Fiscal Repair. Change Percentage Major Year Costs From Previous of Repairs Year Change 91-92 14,410.00 1 92:93 23,265.00 8,855.00 61% 0 93-94 21,196.00 -2,069.00 _9% 1 94-95 24,549.00 3,353.00 16% 2 95-96 28,093.00 3,544.00 14% 3 96-97 24,816.00 -3,277.00 -12% 3 97-98 34,769.00 9,953.00 40% 5 98-99 46,273.00 11,504.00 33% 4 99-2000 44,273.00 -2,000.00 4 Total 261,644.00 Total 23 Average Annual Increase 20% Average 2.6% Note: An additional $13,564 was spent in FY 99-2000 for preventative maintenance. This amount is not considered in these equations. West Shore Services - Siren Install Cost History Fiscal Install Sirens Year Costs Installed 97-98 18,250.00 5 98-99 29,200.00 8 99-2000 51,100.00 14 2000-01* 47,450.00 13 *To date Resolution #01090 March 22, 2001 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the Personnel and Finance Committees. There were no objections.