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Ramsey County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2018 <br /> <br />Page | 51 <br /> <br />direction of and with funding from the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center, Federal <br />Signal first conducted and completed a sound propagation study and a thorough inventory of siren <br />systems in municipal Ramsey County (Saint Paul upgraded all their sirens to compatible versions). This <br />information was shared with all the municipalities and those that own outdoor warning sirens upgraded <br />those sirens that required it. As of June 2018, all upgraded sirens were installed and are on line with the <br />CommanderOne system. All the sirens in Ramsey County are activated by Ramsey County Emergency <br />Communications Center. Sirens are activated when the National Weather Service notifies Ramsey <br />County Emergency Communications Center that there are high winds or tornado conditions that pose <br />risk to public safety. Sirens may also be activated for other situations such as a hazardous materials <br />incident under the direction of an Incident Commander. <br />Skywarn Program – Ramsey County Emergency Management and Homeland Security offers Skywarn <br />training in conjunction with Metro Skywarn on an annual basis to local public safety personnel, Ramsey <br />County employees and residents that wish to be trained as volunteers. Metro Skywarn spotters help to <br />keep our local municipalities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to our <br />local National Weather Service office. Ramsey County Emergency Management and Homeland Security <br />monitors local Skywarn nets and relays information to appropriate persons as needed. <br />Severe Weather Awareness Week – Ramsey County helps promote and participates in the National <br />Weather Service’s “Severe Weather Awareness Week” held in April each year. The event seeks to <br />educate residents on the dangers of severe summer storms and highlights the importance of preparing <br />for severe weather before it strikes. <br />School Closings – The major school districts within Ramsey County have school closing policies and <br />communications plans in place if inclement weather or temperatures create a hazardous situation for <br />students or staff. School districts also use local mass media to relay information. <br />Severe Weather Shelters – The state requires shelters for manufactured home parks with 10 or more <br />manufactured homes per MN Statute 327.20. Ramsey County has 14 manufactured homes parks. Of <br />these parks, 12 have indicated they have shelters, one has stated it does not and one is in an unknown <br />status meaning that the shelter may or may not exist, and if it does, it may or may not be habitable. It is <br />also unknown with all the parks whether the existing shelters have capacity needed for populations <br />present. Given that this has become an issue with local media of late, Ramsey County Emergency <br />Management and Homeland Security will, in cooperation/coordination with other partners, place an <br />emphasis on this activity. (See KSTP News Story here: http://kstp.com/news/mobile-home-park-severe- <br />weather-storm-shelter-minnesota-law-nowhere-to-hide-chetek-wisconsin/4564189/?cat=5) <br />Aboveground Power Lines – Much of the power lines in the county are aboveground and subject to <br />damage from ice storms, wind, and falling tree limbs resulting in power outages. Ramsey County and <br />municipalities will work with power utilities to prioritize burying power lines to critical facilities. <br />Program Gaps or Deficiencies <br />Aboveground Power Lines – Much of the power lines in the county are aboveground and subject to <br />damage from ice storms, wind, and falling tree limbs resulting in power outages. Ramsey County and <br />municipalities will work with power utilities to prioritize burying power lines.