When the big quake comes, the siren in Waldport won’t be sounded. But that doesn’t mean the residents will be left without warning.
Central Oregon Coast Fire Protection District Chief Gary Woodson said the siren bolted atop the fire hall on Highway 34 in Waldport was not working when he joined the department almost three years ago.
“It’s a mechanical siren from the ‘60s,” he explained. “It’s too costly, and we can’t get parts for it. But to my knowledge, the people here know it doesn’t work, as they used to sound it for testing at noon.”
The siren, he said, is obsolete.
“The value of a siren versus the cost to maintain it is not good when you have newer technology for warnings,” he said.
With that new technology, local residents — and everyone in Lincoln County, including tourists — can get specific earthquake, tsunami and other warnings through Lincoln Alerts, the county’s emergency response system.