Yuma Desalting Plant conducting emergency chemical alarm system

The Bureau of Reclamation’s Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) announced Monday that they will be testing its emergency chemical alarm system on Thursday, February 15th.

The test will check that the plants’ siren alert system is fully functioning to help emergency evacuation and safety readiness in the event that the facility experiences an incidental chemical release.

The test will have involve sounding of the siren alarm multiple times to ensure the system is running effectively.

YPD, located at 7301 Calle Agua Salada, will activate the siren system between 8:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. (MST) for a duration of no more than ten minutes for several periods to determine if the system is operating correctly. The alarm helps YDP or Yuma Area Office (YAO) employees to shelter-in-place and alert the on-site Emergency Response Teams to assemble and prepare to respond.

Designed to alert both on-site employees and nearby residents about impending emergency conditions at the YDP, the CASS siren can be heard several miles away from the facility.

Residents or businesses located off-site of the YDP will not be required to be part of the emergency procedure.

YAO regularly conducts these tests to verify the system is working correctly in the event of an actual emergency.