Public meetings scheduled this month
The Southwest Florida Water Management District will begin monthly audible testing in October of three sirens installed near the Edward Medard Park reservoir in southeast Hillsborough County.
The sirens were installed as an additional safety procedure for the unlikely event of an emergency that could result in the failure of the reservoir’s dam. The 700-acre reservoir is part of Edward Medard Park, a popular recreation area located just east of Turkey Creek Road and south of State Road 60. The park is managed by Hillsborough County, while the reservoir dam is operated by the District.
The District regularly inspects and maintains the reservoir’s earthen dam and control structures to ensure that they are safe and functioning properly. However, to be better prepared in the unlikely event of a serious situation at the dam that poses a threat to public safety, an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) was developed. The EAP provides guidance to the District and county emergency officials such as the Hillsborough County Department of Emergency Management and the Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the EAP, the District recently installed three emergency notification sirens downstream of the reservoir as another safety measure. This was done at the request of residents who attended public meetings held in 2003. To ensure these sirens perform properly, audible testing will occur on the first Saturday of each month at noon beginning in October. During testing, the sirens will sound for about 15 seconds and are expected to reach a two-mile radius. The first siren is located at the entrance to the reservoir dam. The second siren is one mile east of where Bloomingdale Avenue dead ends at New River Hills Parkway. The third siren is located on the west side of River Drive just south of Lithia Pinecrest Road.
In the case of a real emergency at the dam, the sirens would be activated with alternating intervals of three minutes of sound followed by three minutes of silence to alert residents to evacuate and seek higher ground. This would continue until the conclusion of the emergency situation.
The District has scheduled two public meetings to discuss the new siren notification system with residents living within hearing range of the sirens. District and Hillsborough County emergency personnel will be available to answer questions. The meeting dates and times are as follows:
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
6–7:30 p.m.
Florida Farm Bureau Office
100 S. Mulrennan Road
Valrico, Florida
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
6–7:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale Public Library
1906 Bloomingdale Avenue
Valrico, Florida
For more information, please call the Operations Department at the District’s Brooksville Headquarters at 1-800-423-1476 or (352) 796-7211.