We have exciting news: the Paradise Early Warning Sirens (EWS) are here! The Early Warning Sirens are part of a project identified by residents as a top priority in the Town’s Long Term Recovery Plan, to better prepare the community in case of an emergency.
There will be a total of 21 siren towers located across Paradise, all within Town limits. The EWS towers are constructed to look like trees dotted across landscapes. The sirens will only be activated during an emergency when an evacuation is called, such as a wildfire or flood.
Keep reading to learn more about what to do when the Early Warning Sirens go off, testing dates, where to find evacuation information, and more.
Early Warning Sirens (EWS) Testing Information
To ensure the towers are functioning as intended, the Town of Paradise will perform Early Warning Siren tests year-round on the first Saturday of each month at 12:00 p.m. The test will last approximately 45 seconds.
Please mark your calendars for the siren tests so you’re prepared for them.
During the test, you’ll hear the following voice command:
“This is a test of the Paradise Early Warning Sirens,” followed by a 30-second siren tone.
Then, you’ll hear the Voice Command again that signals the end of the test.
What to Expect During an Emergency
The sirens will only be activated if an immediate evacuation order is issued.
In the event of an actual evacuation, you’ll hear a 1-minute-long siren tone accompanied by a Voice Command giving evacuation orders, followed by another 1-minute-long siren tone.
You’ll continue to hear the sirens in a 10-minute loop of siren-message-siren, a 5-minute break with no siren or message, a 5-minute loop of sirens and messages, and a 5-minute break with no siren or message.
This loop will continue until the emergency has subsided.
Where to Find Evacuation Updates
After an evacuation order activates the Early Warning Sirens (EWS), you may receive other notifications about the evacuation on your cell phone, TV, or radio.
You can also find evacuation updates by:
- Tuning into AM 1500 Radio
- Checking the Town’s website, www.townofparadise.com
- Visiting the Town’s social media pages
Please share this message with others in the community so we’re all prepared for future emergencies.
Mark Your Calendars For June 15
On June 15 at 10:00 am the Early Warning Sirens will be activated for the first time during an emergency exercise. During this test, residents will hear what the sirens will sound like during a test. This test will be performed as part of “Prepared Paradise” an emergency training exercise for the Town of Paradise and our cooperating agency partners such as Cal Fire, Butte County, Chico PD, CHP, PID, PRPD, PUSD, and more.
The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. Residents will notice uniformed first responders and vehicles throughout the Town.
You can also attend the ToP POP event at Paradise Community Park on Black Olive Drive from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 15. Called “Prepared Paradise,” this event will provide residents with further disaster preparedness information. Stop by the booth at Paradise Community Park to learn about evacuation routes and maps, the Early Warning Sirens, Code Red, Go Bag information, and more. Plus, enjoy a special appearance by Wildfire Ready Racoon.
Come early, because the first 100 people receive a free Go Bag to store their evacuation items!
At 10:00am, Traffic control will be in effect during a mock evacuation exercise. Motorists will be directed to detour from Skyway to Wagstaff to Clark Road. This detour is scheduled to last approximately one hour.
The entire exercise is expected to be complete by mid-afternoon.
If you’d like more information about EWS, head to TownofParadise.com.
For those community members still healing from the Camp Fire, we know seeing uniformed emergency personnel, experiencing traffic detours, and hearing sirens may be emotionally impactful. We encourage anyone in our community to contact the following resources for help:
- The Butte County Dept. of Behavioral Health 24/7 Crisis line: 530.891.2810
- Crisis Text Line: 741741
- Veterans Crisis Line: 800.273.8255
