CCEMA FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT

CCEOC | MOBILE 1 & MOBILE 2 | OUTDOOR WARNING SIREN SYSTEM | COLOR WEATHER RADAR

CULLMAN COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (CCEOC)
Cullman County Office Building, Suite G-3, 402 Arnold Street, Cullman, Alabama 35053


CCEMA moved into the new Emergency Operations Center (CCEOC) in October of 1997. The new EOC in the County Office Building replaced cramped and outdated facilities in the basement of the Cullman County Courthouse. A broken water line in this facility forced CCEMA operations to temporarily locate in a mobile home parked adjacent to the EOC for 13 months. In October, 2003, the CCEOC moved back into their permanent quarters in the basement of the Cullman County Office Building. CCEOC serves as the central command center during emergency operations in Cullman County. It provides a space for all agencies, who respond to emergencies in Cullman County, to work and communications access in order to speed emergency resources to the scene of any event which might affect Cullman County.


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CCEOC also contains offices and/or assembly space for EMA staff, the Cullman County Rescue Squad, the American Red Cross, RACES (Radio Amateurs in Civil Emergency Service {HAM radio}) and the Cullman County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments. The facilities include radio rooms, bunkrooms for EMA staff, kitchen space, and two conference rooms, which seat 8 and 100 persons respectfully.The CCEOC contains the latest in communications equipment, including VHF and UHF base stations which provide contact between the EOC and the various emergency response agencies in Cullman County, satellite contact with the National Weather Service, Internet access, NAWAS, the statewide EMA 800 MHz system and satellite feeds of current weather and radar information. NAWAS (North American Warning System) is a dedicated telephone link between CCEMA, state emergency management, the National Weather Service, Alabama Department of Public Safety, law enforcement agencies, the Alabama National Guard and other Department of Defense agencies. The statewide EMA 800 MHz system is a radio telephone network that connects the CCEOC with CCEMA field units, other counties emergency management agencies, the State EOC in Clanton, the Alabama National Guard, and the National Weather Service.Also in place at CCEOC are the control units and the dome for Cullman County's own color weather radar and the control center for the Cullman County siren warning system. All of this equipment and the center are generator supplied should there be a power failure.Cullman County's new EOC is something in which all citizens can be proud. The excellent facilities, combined with dedicated staff and emergency responders means that Cullman County's citizens have some of the best emergency services available in the state.

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CCEMA MOBILE ONE AND MOBILE TWO

CCEMA staff members are on-call 24/7. A 2003 Ford Expedition and a 2001 Dodge Durango make up the CCEMA fleet and are used when an EMA official must travel to the scene of emergency operations. These units are assigned to the director and deputy director, who also utilize these vehicles for travel to and from training sessions, meetings and other business. Each unit is radio- and mobile phone-equipped and contains emergency contact records and hazardous materials guides.

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OUTDOOR WARNING SIREN SYSTEM

Beginning in the aftermath of the Joppa Tornado of 1995, Cullman County Emergency Management Agency began installing warning sirens in Cullman County as funds became available from local governments and through state and federal grants. The first siren at Joppa went on-line in February 1998, followed shortly by Baileyton and Holly Pond. After the 1998 Arkadelphia-Colony tornado, sirens were added in Arkadelphia, Hanceville, Good Hope, Fairview, Berlin, Smith Lake Park, the Industrial Park, South Vinemont, Cullman, Garden City, Dodge City, Welti, West Point, Loretto, Jones Chapel, and Logan. CCEMA hopes to add additional sirens in the near future until all denser populated areas of the county are within coverage.
Cullman County uses Whelan stack type sirens and Whelen Vortex sirens. Some sirens can be heard up to two miles depending on weather and terrain conditions. The central control station for these sirens is located at the CCEOC and back-up control stations are located at the Cullman County 911 Centers.

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COLOR WEATHER RADAR

During the early morning hours of February 16, 1995, lightning from a thunderstorm struck the radar at the National Weather Service office in Huntsville, causing a fire that closed the office. Overworked staff at the Birmingham office took over, but not before a tornado slammed into the Joppa community in eastern Cullman County, killing one person and injuring several before moving into Arab in Marshall County. Cullman County, caught without warning, recognized the need to be able to keep its own eye on the weather.Located atop the County Office Building is the radar dish for Cullman County's own color weather radar system, which came about as a result of the Joppa tornado. Cullman County was the first county EMA in the state to purchase and operate its own radar. The radar is an Ellison Weather Systems model E400 and is similar to those found on commercial aircraft. CCEMA staff use the radar to monitor storm intensity (which is reported to the National Weather Service) and to track storms in order to warn persons who may be in their path. The radar was paid for through donations by the citizens, businesses, governments, and civic organizations in Cullman County to help prevent events like those of February 16, 1995 from ever happening again.

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