Online Contest Offers Chance to Win a Weather Alert Radio

SPRINGFIELD – Spring officially arrived on March 20, although the weather forecast seems more like winter. But spring-like weather, including severe thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes, will appear eventually. To help people be better prepared for these weather hazards, state and local emergency management officials today encouraged people to participate in an online contest for a chance to win a weather alert radio.

Participants in the “Weather Alert Radios Save Lives” contest read a narrative about weather alert radios, take a five-question quiz and then register for a chance to win one of 100 radios to be awarded. The contest, which continues through March 31, is sponsored by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA).

The contest is available on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov), the IESMA website (www.iesma.org) and on many county and municipal emergency management agency websites. Winners will be announced in April.

The National Weather Service (NWS) and state and local emergency management officials strongly encourage people to have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards with battery backup, a tone-alert feature and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology, which allows the radio to be programmed to receive alerts for specified counties.

IESMA purchased the weather alert radios as part of a program to increase emergency preparedness in local schools, hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities and government buildings throughout Illinois. During 2013 and 2014, IESMA plans to place 800 weather alert radios in local facilities.

Additional information about severe weather preparedness is available on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois.gov).