HOW IT WORKS
The ReCoN Emergency Warning System is capable of transmitting
emergency messages directly to your receiver, whether it is a notification
of a school closing, tornado warning, road closure, utility outages,
wildfire, winter storm, chemical spill, missing or abducted persons alert,
911 system outages, or to even call out public safety professionals. It
can also send a message to your cell phone or e-mail address, all at no
monthly charge. (Note that if you use this feature, your cellular provider
may charge a fee to receive cell phone text messages.)
The radio is the size of a normal desktop clock radio. It uses a basic wall
plug-in for power, and has a built-in rechargeable battery which can run
the radio for up to 3 days if power is out.
The uniqueness of this system is that not every radio will be activated for
every emergency! Emergency officials can set off every radio, or can just
activate a selected group of radios. The type of message you receive
depends on things like where you work, where you live, and where your
kids go to school. The nature of the emergency determines how your
radio will alert you, from not making any noise to a full alert tone.
There are no recurring costs, monthly fees, etc. An EWS radio receiver
is required, however, to receive messages. These can be purchased
from retailers listed to the right.
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WHERE TO GET A RADIO
The radios are available at the following retailers for approximately
$120 each:
IN WOODWARD COUNTY
K-101 Studio, Williams & Downs Ave., Woodward. Open Mon-Fri, 9am
to 5pm, excluding holidays.
G & G Electronics, US 270 NW (NW side of Woodward). Open Mon-Fri,
9am to 5pm, closed 12:30-1:30pm, excluding holidays.
Radio Shack, 2125 Oklahoma Ave., Woodward.
IN ELLIS COUNTY
Stevens Propane, 509 W. Renfro, Arnett, 580-885-7575. Open
Mon-Fri, 8 am to 5 pm. (Closed 12-1 for lunch. Also closed July 4th,
Thanksgiving and Christmas.)
BY MAIL
ViaRadio Corporation, 1-321-242-0001.
OTHER AREAS
The radio will be available in other areas in NW Oklahoma soon.
Retailers are needed to distribute the radios in Dewey County and
Harper County. If you own a department store or electronics store and
are interested in selling the device, please contact your county's
emergency manager by telephone.
ACCESSORIES
Need a flashing light if you are hearing impaired, or an external
antenna if you live in a fringe area? See one of the retailers above for
more information.
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IF YOU'VE PURCHASED A RADIO AND NEED TO SET IT UP
NOTE: For Ellis, Harper and Woodward County Residents Only.
If you live in another county please contact your county's emergency management office.
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HOW TO SET UP YOUR RADIO
IMPORTANT: DON'T TURN YOUR RADIO ON
UNTIL YOU READ THIS!!!
The radio will automatically program itself once you turn it on, if you
follow the directions below:
1. First, PLUG IN THE ANTENNA (THE BLACK CABLE STICKING OUT
OF THE BACK) INTO THE ANTENNA CONNECTOR. See the diagram
on the inside of the box the radio came in to see how to do this.
2. Next, ATTACH THE BLACK WIRE ANTENNA AS HIGH ABOVE THE
RADIO AS YOU CAN. To receive the warning signal, you must ensure
that the antenna is as high as it will go. This will ensure that regardless
of conditions the signal will be received.
3. Plug in the AC adapter into the back of the radio and the radio will
begin programming itself. If you have not completed steps 1 and 2, the
radio will not receive an optimum signal and will not program itself
properly. The radio will begin programming radio stations available in
your area, setting the time and date, and setting up the warning system
receiver. The reception bar will begin to flash on the right side of the
screen. It looks like a cellular telephone signal reception bar. Once the
radio has finished setting itself up (after about 5 minutes), the reception
bar will stop flashing. If there are not at least 2 bars visible, you should
try to relocate your radio to an area where you will get better reception.
If this does not work, please contact your retailer where you purchased
the radio and ask about an external antenna.
4. ACTIVATE YOUR RADIO. To activate your radio, please complete
the online form below. An e-mail will be sent to the Woodward
City/County Emergency Management Office. Your radio will be activated
as soon as possible, but not more than 72 hours from the time when you
signed up, not including holidays or weekends. If you have an e-mail
address, you will be sent an e-mail once your radio has been set up.
Radio tests will be conducted each Wednesday at Noon and 7:00 p.m.,
unless inclement weather is occurring or expected. The radio will not
make any noise for these tests, only displaying the test message.
For more information, please see the instruction manual that came with
your receiver. If you are having problems, please call 1-321-242-0001.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Will my NOAA weather alert radio still work?
*YES. This system is not designed to replace NOAA Weather Radio. It
merely supplements the weather radio system. In fact, it has more
capabilities than a standard NOAA Weather Radio.
2. Who sends the weather alerts to my radio?
*The weather alerts received by your radio are sent directly from the
National Weather Service office in Norman. It picks up the same signal
that a weather radio, the media, and emergency officials receive, and
changes that signal into a message which can be displayed on your
radio.
3. Who sends other types of local emergency alerts to my radio?
*Alerts are activated by local officials in your area. In Woodward
County, alerts would come from the Woodward City/County Office of
Emergency Management and the Woodward County E911 Center. In
other areas, local officials would be able to activate the system.
4. If the radio is on and I am listening to another radio station, will the
radio still receive emergency messages?
*YES. It does not matter which radio station you are listening to, or
whether the radio is turned on or off. You will receive emergency
messages as long as your radio is receiving the emergency signal.
3. How does the radio set the date and time by itself?
*The radio picks up a signal from the transmitter which is the "network
time", or the correct time, so you won't ever have to set it yourself.
Even during the spring and summer during daylight savings time, the
radio will change the time for you. It will automatically set the correct
date for you as well.
5. If the power goes out, will my radio still work?
*Yes. The radio has a rechargeable battery pack inside it. When your
radio is plugged in it keeps the battery charged. If the power goes out,
your radio could run for up to 3 days on standby mode (Note: If you are
running on battery power and have the radio turned on, standby time
will be reduced. The radio will turn itself off after a short period of time if
it is on battery power, to conserve energy).
4. My radio won't pick up the emergency signal. What could be wrong?
*Please refer to the column to the bottom-left, titled "If Your Radio Is Not
Working Properly", and follow the steps listed.
5. I receive e-mail or text messages when my radio is activated, but I
am changing my e-mail or cellular account. How do I change the
account so I can still receive messages, or cancel the messages from
being sent to my email/cell phone?
*Send an email to director@woodwardem.org and your email
address/cell phone account will be changed or removed from the alert
list.
5. I am planning to move out of the area. Will my radio work elsewhere?
*There are compatible warning systems in the Enid, Norman and Ada
areas, and many other areas throughout the United States. Call
1-321-242-0001 to check and see if your radio is compatible with the
area you are moving to.
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IF YOUR RADIO IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY:
1. There are red and green lights near the ON/OFF button. If the red
light is on and flashing, this means that the radio has a problem. It either
means that the radio is not receiving the warning signal, or it is operating
on battery power.
2. Ensure that the radio is plugged in to a working electrical outlet using
the provided AC adapter. You can determine if the radio is on outlet
power by checking the battery indicator on the right side of the display. If
the indicator is flashing, the radio is on battery power. If it is steady (not
flashing), the radio is on AC power. After a few years the rechargeable
battery may need replacement. Call 1-321-242-0001 to order a new
rechargeable battery pack.
3. Make sure that the antenna is plugged into the back of the radio and
that the antenna wire is extended vertically above the radio. Use a thumb
tack or nail to hang the antenna wire on, through the loop at the end at
the wire. Do not drive a nail or thumb tack through the wire itself, just
through the loop at the end of the wire.
4. If the reception bar on the right side of the display is flashing, you are
not receiving the warning signal. You can confirm that this is the problem
if the red light is flashing near the ON/OFF button. If you live within 40
miles of the K101 tower (near Sharon, Ok.) you should not need an
external antenna. However, in the fringe coverage areas some persons
may need to add an external antenna. You can check your radio's
reception by turning on the radio and pushing the P1 button. If you hear
the K101 signal without any static, you should be able to receive the
warning messages without an external antenna. If you hear moderate or
heavy static, or are not hearing the K101 broadcast at all, you may need
an external antenna. Contact the retailer where you purchased the radio
receiver from to purchase an external antenna.
5. If you have tried all the above steps and are still not receiving the
warning messages, your radio may need reset. To do this, click the red
box above this column and complete the online programming form, and
your radio will be reset.
6. If none of the above steps are resolving your problem, please call
1-321-242-0001 between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday
through Friday, excluding holidays, and ask for tech support.
REFER TO THE IMAGES TO THE RIGHT FOR MORE INFO
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GOOD Signal
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NO WARNING SIGNAL
Check antenna connection on
back. Raise antenna. May need
external antenna.
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Antenna bar (shown at
left) will flash if not
receiving a signal.
Ensure this shows at
least 2-3 bars to
receive signal.
Power gauge will flash
when on battery backup
power. Receiver will run
48-72 hrs. on battery
backup.
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Notes on Weather Notifications:
Severe weather alerts are automatically transmitted by the system to your radio within 60 seconds of being issued by the National Weather
Service. The way warnings are issued is being revised by the National Weather Service beginning in the spring of 2008. If you are familiar with
NOAA Weather Radio, these radios will activate an alert message for an entire county or group of counties for which the severe weather warning
has been issued. New technology is being developed to where once the alert has been issued, only the affected areas (not the entire county) will
receive the alert. We are working with the EWS system manufacturer and the National Weather Service in implementing this feature with your new
EWS radio receiver. At the present time, if you live within the city limits of an incorporated community, you will only receive alerts which affect your
area. If you live in more rural parts of a county, you may receive any warning issued for the county in which you live. We hope to soon be able to
narrow down this area so that you will only receive weather alerts for your specific area, instead of for the entire county.
Your EWS receiver will alert you in the following way:
TORNADO WARNING:
The receiver beeps continuously at full volume, the display turns red, and the message will scroll across the screen. To turn off the alarm, press
the "Snooze" button.
TORNADO WATCH:
The receiver sounds 3 long tones at high volume, the display turns red, and the message will scroll across the screen for the entire watch period.
The alarm will turn itself off after 3 beeps but may be silenced by pressing the "Snooze" button.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING:
The receiver sounds 6 long tones at high volume, the display turns red, and the message will scroll across the screen. The alarm will turn itself off
after 6 beeps but may be silenced by pressing the "Snooze" button.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH:
The receiver sounds one long tone at high volume, and the message will scroll across the screen for the entire watch period. The alarm will turn
itself off after 1 beep but may be silenced by pressing the "Snooze" button.
FLASH FLOOD WARNING, BLIZZARD WARNING, WINTER STORM WARNING:
The receiver sounds three long tones at high volume, and the message will scroll across the screen. The alarm will turn itself off after 3 beeps but
may be silenced by pressing the "Snooze" button.
OTHER WEATHER ALERTS:
All other weather alerts will sound two beeps and the message will scroll across the screen for the entire advisory, watch, or warning period.
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