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City of Muscatine Press Releases

MUSCOM to start video streaming from 911 callers

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine County Joint Communications Center (MUSCOM) is excited to announce the launch of “Prepared Live” in the dispatch center. Built by the company Prepared, the software enables the Muscatine 9-1-1 dispatch center to livestream, receive multimedia, and receive location from mobile callers in real-time. 

This addition to our technology suite will significantly improve our ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emergencies in the community.

“The ability for our Public Safety Dispatchers to view live streaming from 911 callers will give our first responders a better understanding of exactly what type of situations they will be entering,” Chris Jasper, Director of Emergency Management and 911 for Muscatine County, said.  “We hope that this will enhance officer safety and give them more accurate information before they arrive on scene.”

Participation in video streaming during a call is completely voluntary and consent of the caller is required. If the caller consents, they will receive a livestream link via text from the dispatcher, enabling them to activate live video upon clicking to activate the link.

It is important to note that the video call function will not provide MUSCOM with access to the contents or settings of a caller’s phone.

The launch follows three weeks of preparation and training to ensure that the dispatchers and the team are able to properly utilize the software. Working side-by-side with Prepared’s customer success team, MUSCOM has created and adopted policies to ensure that “Prepared Live” is used effectively in various scenarios.

“We are very excited to start utilizing ‘Prepared Live’ in our center as it has proven to help tremendously in various capacities across the country,” Jasper said.   

Originally founded as a company focused on school safety, Prepared, led by co-founders Mike, Dylan, and Neal, is a mission-driven organization with a passion for improving public safety. In creating an app to help mitigate school emergencies, the team discovered that valuable data is lost in existing 9-1-1 processes and set out to address the problem. Since public launch in October of 2021, Prepared Live has helped protect over two million American citizens in cities around the country.

To learn more about Prepared and “Prepared Live”, visit Prepared911.com

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

City, County, School Board to meet in joint session

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine City Council, Muscatine School Board, and the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors will meet in a joint session at 7 p.m., Tuesday (Sept. 27) at Muscatine High School. The Muscatine School Board is the host for the session.

The public is invited to attend the in-person session. Please use the main entrance to enter the building. There will not be a virtual session for this meeting.

Muscatine Mayor Brad Bark will distribute and discuss an infographic explaining how property tax is determined, and provide updates on housing in Muscatine and on City projects. Muscatine County Board of Supervisors District 5 Representative Jeff Sorenson will provide an update on Eastern Iowa Mental Health and the disability services region support programs, and Muscatine School Superintendent Clint Christopher will provide an update on the school district.

The three boards have been meeting in joint sessions regularly the past two years and last met in March 2022.

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Man charged after school parking lot argument

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine County Joint Communications Center (MUSCOM) received multiple 911 calls at approximately 2:38 p.m. today (Sept. 19), of a subject who was creating a disturbance in the parking lot of McKinley Elementary School. There were also reports that the subject was claiming to have a weapon. 

Officers from the Muscatine Police Department responded to the scene and advised both McKinley Elementary School and Susan Clark Junior High School to go into lockdown until the situation was resolved.

When the Muscatine Police arrived, the individual was located sitting in his truck within the school parking lot. He was identified as Gabriel L Bishop, 40, (DOB 04/05/82).  

Bishop had entered the parking lot behind another vehicle who he was upset with over an incident that had happened on the roadway prior to the vehicles entering the parking lot. Once the vehicles came to a stop, Bishop stepped out of his truck and began arguing with the occupants of the vehicle he had followed. 

During that confrontation, Bishop made a statement that indicated he could be in possession of a weapon. Several people who overheard this disturbance then called 911. No weapon was immediately found on Bishop. 

Bishop was taken into custody and has been charged with Harassment in the 2nd Degree and Disorderly Conduct. 

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

PD RELEASE

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

MUSCOM to participate in statewide tornado drill March 23

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine County Joint Communications Center (MUSCOM) will start the yearly testing of the Outdoor Sirens on Monday, April 4, 2022.  The sirens are tested on the first Monday of every month at 11 a.m. during non-freezing months, however, if there is severe weather forecast for a testing day, the sirens will not be tested.      

 

The county will also be participating in the Statewide Tornado Drill to be held in conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness Week.  The Drill will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 23.  The sirens will also be activated in conjunction with this drill.    For more information you can visit the National Weather Service Site at https://www.weather.gov/dvn/.

 

“The Statewide Drill gives businesses, schools, daycares and other facilities the chance to practice their severe weather procedures as we move into storm season.  I encourage all facilities in the county to participate in the drill” said Chris Jasper, Director – Emergency Management/911.

 

Just as a reminder to all citizens, during a severe weather event, the sirens are activated by MUSCOM when one of the following criteria is met:

  • Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service
  • Tornado or funnel cloud reported by a trained weather spotter
  • Severe thunderstorm Warning issued by the National Weather Service or a report from a trained weather spotter that includes:
    1. Wind 70mph or greater and/or
    2. Golf ball sized hail or larger

 

According to information from the NWS most fatalities during tornadoes or severe thunderstorms occur due to falling trees or large branches.  70 mph wind is the typical threshold at which large branches and small trees break.   Hail also begins to break windows when it reaches or exceeds golf ball sized hail. 

 

“Muscatine County follows the guidelines that are set out by the National Weather Service.  Due to the possibility of extreme danger from falling trees and branches we will continue to activate the siren system for Severe Thunderstorm Warnings that meet that threshold,” said Jasper.

 

Sirens are designed to alert citizens who are outdoors of an imminent hazard and prompt them to go indoors and seek further information.

 

“We encourage the public to tune into local media outlets or listen to a weather radio during severe weather and ask that they limit the use of 911 to emergencies only,” Jasper said.

 

Anyone that believes a siren is not working or malfunctioning can reach out to the Office of Emergency Management at 563-264-7142.

 

Outdoor Siren Locations

 

In cooperation with the Muscatine Area Geographic Information Consortium (MAGIC), a link has been created for Muscatine County residents to pinpoint where the outdoor warning sirens are located. Click on the following link to view the locations: OUTDOOR SIRENS. 

 

Free National Weather Service Storm Spotter Training

 

For those interested in becoming storm spotters, the National Weather Service will be conducting both an in-person and virtual (on-line) training. Storm spotter training will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 15, at Calvary Church in Muscatine. Classes cover severe weather hazards including thunderstorms and tornadoes, the general structure and movement of severe thunderstorms, identification of important storm features, and safety concerns. 

 

All in-person and virtual classes to be conducted by the NWS Quad Cities office, and all classes last about 2 hours. Classes are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required for virtual classes. Classes are appropriate for all ages, but ages 10 and up will likely get the most out of the training.

 

Click QUAD CITIES STORM WATCHERS for more information or visit the Storm Spotter Training event notification on Facebook.

 

Testing and Activation of the Muscatine County-Wide Outdoor Warning System

 

The Muscatine County Emergency Management Agency has established a Guidance policy for Testing and Activation of the Muscatine County-Wide Outdoor Warning System. As a reminder, sirens are used to alert those who are outdoors of an imminent hazard and prompt them to go indoors and seek further information. The information will be available to the general public through the county and other municipalities’ websites.

 

For more information, visit the Emergency Management website, and follow them on Facebook.

 

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Outdoor Warning Sirens just one part of notification system

MUSCATINE Iowa – The outdoor warning sirens were activated in Muscatine County Friday night when radar indicated circulation indicative of a funnel cloud in the northern part of Muscatine County as a line of severe weather moved through the county. Although two tornadoes were reported in Scott County, none were reported to have touched down in Muscatine County.

 

The outdoor warning sirens are a system intended to notify residents outside of their homes or places of business that severe weather is imminent. It is just one part of a multi-layered system to alert residents of potential life-threatening storms. Other parts include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Weather Radio (NWR), broadcast radio, television, and cable providers that use the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) systems, telephonic notification services, and digital message boards along highways.

 

“When you hear the outdoor warning sirens, it is time to move indoors and check local media for further information,” Jerry Ewers, Muscatine Fire Chief, said. “The sirens are just one part of a larger notification system.”

 

One device, just as important to safety in the home as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, is a NOAA All Hazards alert radio that can notify residents INSIDE their home to severe weather watches and warnings, civil emergencies, and amber alerts. These units, especially battery powered ones, are vital whether residents are in various locations inside the home or have moved to a place of safety within the home.

 

According to the Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA) the sole purpose of outdoor warning sirens is for the protection of life. Hearing an outdoor warning siren is a call to take immediate life-saving action and the most desired individual action is to take shelter.

 

“Get inside and then get information” is the recommendation of emergency management professionals.

 

Muscatine County offers alert notification through ALERT IOWA, a mass notification and emergency messaging system hosted by the Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management Department. Residents can sign up for the types of alerts they would like to receive and select the best way to receive those messages. 

 

The Muscatine County Emergency Management Association highly recommends that residents keep a weather radio with a battery backup in their homes for use during times of inclement weather.

 

The standard operating procedure for activation of the outdoor sirens includes:

 

  • The sirens are activated for severe thunderstorms when the NWS issues a severe thunderstorm warning or a trained spotter reports winds of 70 mph or greater and/or golf ball size hail or larger. Hail begins to break windows when it reaches or exceeds golf ball size and winds of 70 mph or greater are enough to break large branches and small trees.
  • The sirens are activated for tornadoes when the NWS issues a tornado warning and/or a trained spotter reports a tornado or funnel cloud.
  • The sirens can also be activated for non-weather emergencies (hazmat incident, terrorism, nuclear emergency, etc.) that pose a threat to those who are outdoors and require action to protect life.

 

When the NWS issues a severe thunderstorm watch or a tornado watch, it is a notification to residents that conditions exist that severe weather is possible and residents should be prepared if a warning is issued. If the sirens sound … get inside and get informed.

 

“We have a county wide warning system so although the weather may be fine in one area, it could be quite the opposite in another,” Ewers said. “Never dismiss the sirens and always seek information of where the storms are.”

 

A severe thunderstorm watch means “Be Prepared” as conditions are favorable for a severe thunderstorm to form, so tune in to forecast updates, monitor sky conditions, and know where to take shelter if needed. 

 

A severe thunderstorm warning means “Take Action!” and take shelter immediately as a severe thunderstorm is happening or about to happen.

 

Severe thunderstorms produce damaging wind and/or large hail. If a warning is issued, take shelter in a sturdy structure away from windows (a basement or cellar would be best). Being inside a hard-topped vehicle is safer than being outside. Thunderstorms also produce lightning that kill an average of 30 people every year.

 

A tornado watch means “Be Prepared” as a tornado is possible. Know your safe place (storm shelter, basement, interior hall away from windows), and be sure to act quickly if a warning is issued.

 

A tornado warning means “Take Action!” as a tornado is happening or about to happen. Immediately take shelter in your safe place. Do not dismiss radar indicated tornado warnings, especially at dusk or at night. Dangerous conditions exist for the warning to be issued.

 

Winds from tornadoes can exceed 200 mph with flying debris very dangerous and most often the cause of death and injuries. Seek a study shelter in a basement, storm shelter, or interior room away from windows on the lowest floor and cover your head. Every tornado should be seen as life-threatening.

 

More information about the warning system can be found on the SEVERE WEATHER page on the City of Muscatine web site including when are the sirens sounded and what to do when you hear the sirens.

 

FAQ – Outdoor Weather Sirens

 

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Meteorological spring arrives, time to prepare for severe weather

MUSCATINE, Iowa – With Meteorological spring upon us, the Muscatine County Emergency Management Agency wants to remind those in the county to start preparing for severe storms. 

 

On average, Muscatine County residents can experience thunderstorm warnings for storms that are capable of producing damaging winds, lightning, hail, and even tornadoes.

 

The Muscatine County Emergency Management Commission is in the process of updating the outdoor warning system sirens, many of which were the 1960’s civil defense warning devices. Each year, the Commission approves a budget to replace four (4) sirens for the fiscal year.

 

In cooperation with the Muscatine Area Geographic Information Consortium (MAGIC), a link has been created for Muscatine County residents to pinpoint where the outdoor warning sirens are located. Click on the following link to view the locations: OUTDOOR SIRENS. 

 

Free National Weather Service Storm Spotter Training

 

For those interested in becoming storm spotters, the National Weather Service will be conducting both an in-person and virtual (on-line) training. Storm spotter training will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 15, at Calvary Church in Muscatine. Classes cover severe weather hazards including thunderstorms and tornadoes, the general structure and movement of severe thunderstorms, identification of important storm features, and safety concerns. 

 

All in-person and virtual classes to be conducted by the NWS Quad Cities office, and all classes last about 2 hours. Classes are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required for virtual classes. Classes are appropriate for all ages, but ages 10 and up will likely get the most out of the training.

 

Click QUAD CITIES STORM WATCHERS for more information or visit the Storm Spotter Training event notification on Facebook.

 

Testing and Activation of the Muscatine County-Wide Outdoor Warning System

 

The Muscatine County Emergency Management Agency has established a Guidance policy for Testing and Activation of the Muscatine County-Wide Outdoor Warning System. As a reminder, sirens are used to alert those who are outdoors of an imminent hazard and prompt them to go indoors and seek further information. The information will be available to the general public through the county and other municipalities’ websites.

 

For more information, visit the Emergency Management website, and follow them on Facebook.

Continue reading “Meteorological spring arrives, time to prepare for severe weather”