Prison considers warning system to alert public of inmate escape

Published 5:10 am Wednesday, April 27, 2005

UMATILLA – Looking for a way to spread the word if a dangerous inmate from the Two Rivers Correctional Institute were to escape, the prison’s citizen advisory panel is considering tapping into the system used over radio and television to warn of an emergency.

Originally, the Prison Advisory Board considered the possibility of using the alert system used by the Umatilla Chemical Depot for sending information to residents on what to do in case of an escape.

But in a memorandum from Tamara Mabott of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program, the board was asked to consider that the Tone Alert Radio system, with its 50 outdoor sirens, three warning signs and more than 17,000 residential units, was designed specifically to warn residents of an incident at the Depot. Changing its use to alert the entire population served by TAR for inmate escapes “may dilute the warning effectiveness” for Depot incidents and weather emergencies.

Tony George, chairman of the advisory board, said Tuesday that the TAR system is not off the table. But the board will first look into using the Emergency Alert System, which replaced the Emergency Broadcast System in 1994. The EAS uses radio, television and cable broadcasters to alert people in emergency situations.

“It’s still a reasonable option,” George said of the TAR system. “It’s paid for by taxpayers.”

However, the board has accepted Mabbott’s suggestion that it look into using the broadcast system, which it will discuss at the advisory panel’s next meeting in July, he said.

In any case, the board wants to implement some kind of system for telling residents about escapees.

“What we want to do is alert the public,” George said.

Guy Hall, superintendent for Two Rivers, said the prison is not directly involved in getting an alert system in place but thinks it is a good idea.

“Heaven forbid if an inmate were to escape we would do our best to guarantee the safety of the public,” Hall said, adding, “I would accept any tool that would help our ability.”

Currently the board has established an “e-mail tree,” an e-mail forwarding system that allows board members to send off the photograph and biography of an escaped inmate to 500 to 1,000 people, George said.

“In a matter of minutes,” he said.

For more information about how to be part of the e-mail tree, contact Two Rivers Correctional Institution at 922-2101.