Indiana Administrative Code › Title 290 - DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY › Article 2 - SEVERE WEATHER WARNING SIRENS › Rule 1 - Severe Weather Warning Siren Planning › Section 1-2 - Definitions

Current through July 10, 2024
Authority: IC
				  36-8-21.5-9
Affected: IC
				  10-19-3-3; IC
				  36-8-21.5-11;
				  IC
				  36-8-21.5-13
Sec. 2.
The following definitions apply throughout this
				  article:
(1) "Activation" means the
				measure or measures taken by a community to begin operating an alerting and
				severe weather warning siren system for a specific jurisdiction based upon an
				actual or perceived threat to life, health, and property.
(2) "Alert" means any text, voice, video, or
				other information provided by an authorized official to provide situational
				awareness to the public or private, or both, sector concerning a potential or
				ongoing emergency situation, which may require actions to protect life, health,
				and property.
(3) "Audibility"
				means to describe the degree to which a sound can be heard, and it is
				considered a key metric for evaluating outdoor warning systems. Important
				components of audibility include whether the sound is louder than the
				surrounding ambient noise and its ability to attract the attention of otherwise
				occupied individuals.
(4)
				"Authorized county official" means the individual designated as having
				authority within a county to activate the county's severe weather warning
				sirens if there is an actual or perceived threat to life, health, and
				property.
(5) "County siren
				coverage plan" means the document generated by Indiana counties detailing the
				necessary information as prescribed by IC
				36-8-21.5-13.
(6) "County siren coverage report" means a
				document generated by Indiana counties detailing the necessary information as
				prescribed by IC
				36-8-21.5-11,
				which calls for data related to the county's existing or planned warning
				sirens. The data found in this report shall include such information as areas
				covered by existing sirens, projected locations for planned sirens, maintenance
				and testing of existing systems, and identification of persons designated as
				having authority to activate the county's severe weather warning
				sirens.
(7) "dB(C)" refers to
				decibels relative to the carrier.
(8) "Emergency" means an unexpected event
				that places life or property, or both, in danger and requires an immediate
				response through the use of available community resources.
(9) "Failure rate" means the number or
				percentage of actual failures observed through the testing and activation of
				warning systems at a given site or location.
(10) "IDHS" refers to the Indiana department
				of homeland security established in IC
				10-19-3-3.
(11) "Infrastructure agency" means an Indiana
				political subdivision or a designated agency responsible for acquiring,
				operating, maintaining, and testing one (1) or more severe weather warning
				sirens in an area.
(12)
				"Installation" means the setting in place of one (1) or more severe weather
				warning sirens in a given county for the purpose of alerting or warning the
				public of actual or potentially hazardous situations.
(13) "Maximum coverage area" means the
				fullest extent to which a severe weather warning siren is expected to be
				effective in alerting and warning the public.
(14) "Minimum technical standards" means the
				minimum standards and specifications of severe weather warning sirens used to
				notify citizens of an impending emergency or disaster.
(15) "Outdoor warning system" is a term used
				to describe the mechanisms, processes, equipment, and devices in fixed or
				mobile locations positioned outdoors activated to notify and warn the public of
				impending life-threatening situations.
(16) "Planning agency", with respect to a
				county, means a unit of government that has planning and zoning jurisdiction
				over all or part of the area or a plan commission that has planning
				jurisdiction over all or any part of the area.
(17) "SEPSS" refers to stored emergency power
				supply system.
(18) "Severe weather
				warning siren" means an outdoor device that can be activated with a specified
				range to warn residents of an occurrence or imminent threat of weather using
				audible signals and sounds.
(19)
				"Temporary dwelling" means buildings, structures, or portions of land dedicated
				to recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.
(20) "Testing" means the practice of
				evaluating a specific resource, capability, or function to determine its
				effectiveness based upon specific criteria or standards.
(21) "Wail" means a common audible siren
				alert tone that remains steady over a period of three (3) minutes to five (5)
				minutes.
(22) "Warning" means a
				hydro-meteorological message issued to provide appropriate information of
				hazardous and potentially life-threatening weather conditions, which may also
				include key actions to be taken by the public to prevent loss of life and
				damage to property.