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Kealakehe cable siren was cut in recent vandalism act
Hawaii County Civil Defense officials have reported that the Kealakehe tsunami alert siren was vandalized sometime following the March 2, 2009 test of the siren.
Personnel at nearby Kealakehe Elementary School noticed that a cable to the siren had been cut and reported it to Civil Defense officials on March 13, 2009.
“Such actions cripple our ability to transmit emergency notifications,†said County Civil Defense Administrator Quince Mento.
County radio technicians are expected to have the siren operating again in time for the monthly test of the Civil Defense warning system on April 1, 2009. About 40 feet of cable worth approximately $150 needs to be replaced using a bucket truck, a driver and two radio technicians.
A police report was filed and anyone with information about the vandalism is encouraged to report it to Hawaii County police. Anyone wishing to report information anonymously may do so through West Hawaii Crime Stoppers. Call (808) 329-8181.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:18 pm
To me, this makes a serious point of N-Kona’s collective inability to be a good citizen. These poor fools probably have no idea of the importance of a functional warning siren.
Kealakehe has lots of bad people, and particulary bad kids, from what I have seen. Yet their people complain of neglect. Let’s hope the judge sentences these misfits and their parents to pay for the restoration of the broken siren.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Hugh, there are punks on every corner of this orb.
The real problem here is with how this thing was initially installed; a thing as critical to our safety as a civil defense siren should be vandal resistant; put the damn wire inside some steel conduit, then the vandals need a sawzall! Its a no-brainer…
May 20th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Crazy kids these days. Why would someone do something like this? It’s a warning siren, what kind of accomplishment would you get out of cutting the wires to it? Don’t they realize that they have crippled part of an emergency notification system that saves their own lives?
Even though I don’t live in Hawaii, as a warning siren repairman, I would recommend that the new wiring be fitted with PVC conduit to help deter vandalists. PVC conduit is a tough material to get through with normal tools, and helps protect the wiring in the long run. Also, be sure the controls to the siren are locked with a padlock at all times–except for when it is being serviced. Another good idea to be sure all of your area’s siren are operative is to go out every 3 months and inspect each siren, running manual local tests on each one and inspecting all of the wiring–to make sure that it will be ready to warn your area if an emergency is to occur. Just a few small updates and inspections of your sirens can save you money in the future, as well as keep your community safe.
Hopefully your area’s sirens will not be subject to any more vandalism.
May 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Sad very sad , I thought more Good of Hawaii
until now because they have a Siren SYSTEM. But then
again I have forgotten all those Hawaii Five-0 T.V.
episodes I used to watch on CBS , IE: they have their
crime as well- just as we have in Los Angeles County.
But I wish we had a WORKING C D Siren System here &
now With North Korea perhaps due for a Long Range
ICBM test soon ? _ or a west coast Tsunami someday!
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:41 am
These sirens are irritating, and never go off when they are needed. They are just something to cause the public to fear. They should all be vandalized.