Indian Hill Rangers

Weather and Storm Preparedness

 

     As you know, Indian Hill and this part of the country are not immune from severe weather. Over the past couple of years, our area has been hit by storms that resulted in lengthy power outages and property damage. These storms have come in the form of snow/ice and even a hurricane.
     When severe weather is in the area, it is important to understand things that take place and why they do. Below, you will find a helpful guide to better understand what goes on during a storm.

 

Storm Sirens
    In Hamilton County, the outdoor warning sirens will sound a steady tone for five (5) minutes when there is a TORNADO WARNING.  If you hear the sirens during a storm, this means that a tornado has been spotted or could develop within the area of the siren. TAKE PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY!! It is strongly recommended to watch or listen to your local news for weather updates when the sirens are heard.
     In addition, the sirens are tested in Hamilton County on the first Wednesday of each month at noon.

For more information about being prepared for storms and natural disasters, please click the link for the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency at the link at the bottom of the page.

 

 

What goes on with the Rangers and Dispatch during a Severe Weather event

 

     During any event that results in power outages, either to a residential street, neighborhood or community as a whole, there are a lot of things going on within the Police and Fire Departments that most people probably do not know or realize. Generally, if there are more than a couple of residents without power, the Police Department is aware, most likely on scene and has probably notified Duke Energy of the problem. The issues regarding the Police come as a result of multiple calls about the same situation. While we encourage our residents to call the Police for a problem, we do ask for patience and common sense in the event of a large scale power outage or large natural event. The set up that residents need to be aware of are as follows:

 

       Any given shift can have 2-5 officers working the road and one dispatcher. The Indian Hill Rangers dispatch center has several phone lines that accept calls at the same time. However, during a situation that results in multiple calls, one person has to answer every call that is made into the Police Department. On top of that, the dispatcher has to monitor two radio channels used by the Police Department and if possible, several by the Fire Department. During all this, the dispatcher has to sort out the runs and dispatch them to the appropriate officer for a response. The dispatcher then has to process any request such as phone calls, notifying other agencies etc., made by the officers on the road. Long story short, an event can result in several hundred calls being made to the Police Department, for the same thing, which is handled by one person. Unfortunately, many times, the dispatcher nor the police officers are able to give precise answers to residents when they call.

 

                When Duke Energy is called, neither the Rangers nor the Fire Department are told when the power will be restored. Many times when there is a large scale power outage, the Rangers receive hundreds of non-emergency calls about the power situation. Each call that is made to the Ranger station can slow response times to true emergencies. This not only affects the safety and security of residents, but of responding officers as well. It is important to remember that if your power is out, chances are other communities may be affected as well.

 

 

DURING A STORM OR NATURAL DISASTER, PLEASE LIMIT CALLS TO THE RANGERS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!!

 

Please use the following numbers to contact local utilities of service related issues to your residence:

 

Duke Energy - 1-800-544-6900

Cincinnati Bell -  513-565-2210

Time Warner Cable - 513-489-5000