EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

In addition to providing public safety, public works, community development, and other day-to-day services, Streamwood plans for responding to and recovering from large-scale emergencies and disasters. The readiness of our residents and responsibility to protect the community are elements that we incorporate into our overall preparedness efforts. The Fire Department serves as the Village’s Emergency Management Agency.

The Village of Streamwood Emergency Operations Plan addresses the Village’s structure for response to extraordinary emergencies associated with natural disasters, technological incidents, human caused disasters and national security emergencies in or affecting the Village of Streamwood.

JOINT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (JEMS)

Streamwood is a member of the Northwest Central Joint Emergency Management System (JEMS). JEMS is a cooperative intergovernmental effort by 12 communities to provide shared Emergency Management services, so that we can continue to provide readiness for community-wide emergencies in all four phases of Emergency Management: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation.

A step in post-disaster recovery includes an initial damage assessment, which is the processes that the Village will use to identify and assess damage to infrastructure and public and private property, following a disaster or other major emergency. The damage assessment will assist in identifying the appropriate recovery needs of residents, visitors, and governmental agencies, so as to expedite recovery efforts in the impacted area. Residents can assist the Village in performing this initial damage assessment by completing a quick Damage Assessment Form. The information in this form is collected by our JEMS and is confidential. It may be shared with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) in the event of a locally executed emergency declaration.

This form is for residents to submit preliminary reports of their damaged property after a severe storm. Police, Fire, Public Works, and Community Development will perform initial damage assessments, and this form will aid Village staff in determining initial impacts. To obtain a copy of this form, click here.

WARNING SIRENS

Warning sirens are intended to help people in the community be alerted to potential emergencies. Two types of sirens can be activated – Tornado Sirens and Lightning Detection Sirens. They have different uses and different sounds. Both are important ways to ensure your safety outdoors.

Extreme Weather / Tornado Sirens

Tornado sirens alert people who may be outdoors when a tornado warning is issued. The sirens are not intended to alert people indoors. It is highly recommended that each residence, business, school and church purchase weather alert radios that are automatically activated during severe weather occurrences.

Tornado sirens are activated when severe weather, a tornado, or other emergencies exist in the area. When sirens are activated, they are activated continuously in a 5-minute on, and 5-minute off, cycle until the warning expires. Please take shelter immediately in the lowest floor of your home. If you do not have a basement, take shelter in an interior room away from windows.
   
There is no “all clear” signal or sound that is activated when the warning has been canceled. Please monitor local radio or TV for weather updates during severe weather or if you hear the siren activated.

Tests of the tornado siren system are conducted on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 10 am by Northwest Central Dispatch. At that time the siren is sounded for 1 minute. This monthly test is conducted to ensure proper operation of the sirens and to familiarize everyone with its sound.

Lightning Detection Sirens

Lightning Detection Systems are located in four Streamwood Park District parks. These sirens activate when lightning is detected within the area. For more information on the Park District’s notification system, please visit www.spdcares.com.

STORM READY

The Village of Streamwood has been designated as a Storm Ready community by the National Weather Service. This program helps to plan and address all types of extreme weather and encourages proactive approaches to improving local hazardous weather operations.

To be officially Storm Ready, a community must:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
• Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public
• Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally
• Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars
• Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

The Village is proud to be proactive in maintaining the safety of our community!

If you would like any further information about the Village of Streamwood’s emergency management and preparedness measures, please contact the Fire Department at 630-736-3650 or fire@streamwood.org. If you would like more information on the JEMS initiative, please visit https://www.nwcds.org/jems.html