Town of Paradise Partners with HQE Systems to Install SiRcom Early Warning Sirens
The town of Paradise was almost completely destroyed by the 2018 Camp wildfire, losing 95% of its structures, most within the first four hours,
Photo: Erin, Adobe Stock
PARADISE, Calif. — The town of Paradise, Calif., has selected HQE Systems, Inc. (HQE), a technology and software solutions provider, to enhance its emergency response capabilities through the installation of the SiRcom Early Warning Siren system.
The 2018 Camp Wildfire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history, claiming the lives of 85 people and burning 240 square miles. The town of Paradise was almost completely destroyed, losing about 95% of its structures, most within the first four hours, according to CA.gov. The fire burned so quickly that the 27,000 residents had little time to evacuate.
The sirens, specifically designed by HQE, address two critical issues associated with emergencies such as wildfires: power outages and cellular/internet signal failures. HQE’s SiRcom sirens overcome these challenges with up to 30 days of backup power and multiple modes of communication, including satellite, radio, cellular, IP, secure mesh, LoRaWAN, and SAFE network zones, the company says.
“The early warning sirens build redundancy into our emergency mass notification capabilities for the Town,” said Brian Solecki, the Project Manager of Early Warning Sirens for the Town of Paradise. “Having the SiRcom early warning sirens will allow us to alert our residents in case the power or the local cellular systems go down again, as they have in previous fires.”
The town’s collaboration with HQE is said to place it among an increasing number of California municipalities recognizing the importance of resilient, advanced, and reliable early warning siren systems.
“We’ve been working closely with HQE Systems on our SiRcom early warning sirens project,” continued Solecki. “We are extremely happy with their quality of work. It was vital for us to choose a partner that understood how to design and build early warning sirens in a challenging environment.”
The company says the sirens provide clear, intelligible voice and tone alerts that significantly enhance the effectiveness of the system.
“The SiRcom early warning sirens have provided our Town with clear, intelligible voice and tone alerts that will be heard all across our community,” said Solecki.
The town of Paradise’s decision underscores the critical importance of investing in robust and reliable emergency alert systems in this era of heightened environmental uncertainty, says the company. Partnering with HQE systems to install the SiRcom Early Warning Siren system, the town is set to substantially enhance its emergency preparedness, safety, and security infrastructure, it adds.
For more information about HQE Systems Inc. and its emergency management, electronic security, and integration solutions, visit www.hqesystems.com.
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