Trust in Emergency Notifications Uphold: Marine Corps Spokesperson Addresses Importance After Okinawa False Alarm
Lessons from Fukushima Disaster: Marine Corps Installations Pacific Strive to Improve Tsunami Warning Systems and Community Trust
According to American Military News, on January 19, in the evening at Camp Foster, Okinawa a false alarm from a tsunami warning siren initiated evacuation protocols. Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC) quickly corrected the error through their Facebook page, attributing it to a malfunction. Lt. Col. Dan Huvane a Marine Corps spokesperson stressed the importance of maintaining trust in timely emergency notifications for service members and the community.
Japan has a history of devastating tsunamis, notably in March 2011, when a 140 foot tsunami followed a 9.0 earthquake and causing extensive damage and a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station. Operation Tomodachi involving 24,000 service members and numerous aircraft and ships and provided crucial relief and rescue efforts.
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False Tsunami Alarm Stirs Panic: Marine Corps Triggers Evacuations in Unfortunate Mishap(PHOTO: getty images)
Ensuring Community Safety: Marine Corps Installations Pacific Adapts and Upgrades Emergency Response Strategies in Response to Natural Disasters
In response to the 2011 catastrophe, MCIPAC tested a new tsunami warning system in August 2012 featuring a distinctive alarm followed by verbal alerts in Japanese and English. Okinawa, with its vulnerability to tsunamis due to its geographical location and low lying areas is considered high risk. In such emergencies, all residents including military personnel are advised to seek refuge at elevations exceeding 60 feet for safety.
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