CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa, Japan -- Marine Corps Installations Pacific will test a new tsunami warning system with a specialized alarm Aug. 29. The alarm, which will be tested sometime between noon-4 p.m., is designed to alert personnel on all camps and stations of an imminent destructive wave. Recognizing the sound of the alarm will be critical in evacuating low-lying areas and saving lives.

Upon notification of a tsunami warning, the alarm will be activated.

"There will be a steady tone and then a verbal warning," said Mike Lacey, the regional installation emergency manager with MCIPAC.

The steady tone is the Federal Emergency Management Agency's standard siren indicating an emergency. The activation of the system is modeled after the Hawaii Department of Emergency Management procedures, according to Lacey.

Upon notification that Okinawa has been placed under a tsunami warning, the tone will sound for 30 seconds immediately followed by the verbal warning:  

"Okinawa is under a tsunami warning. A mandatory evacuation of low-lying coastal areas has been ordered; all personnel should seek safe haven immediately."

Personnel will hear the verbal warning twice in Japanese and English. The alarm will sound every hour after the siren is first activated, followed again by the verbal warning. The alarm will run continuously, commencing thirty minutes prior to the wave's anticipated landfall.

Personnel will be notified when conditions are safe to return to low-lying areas through an announcement of "All clear." This will be repeated three times in both English and Japanese.

According to Lacey, the alarm has the potential to save hundreds of lives if people heed the warnings and take immediate steps before a tsunami occurs.

"People at home or at work, wherever they are, should take this alarm and tsunamis extremely seriously," said Lacey. "They need to know if their home or office is in a dangerous area, so when the alarm does sound, they have a route already planned to escape to the safest place."

One of the major factors contributing to loss of life during a tsunami is the failure to act quickly. People often do not take into consideration where they live and therefore do not have a plan, according to Lacey.

"In a lot of instances, people do not give where they live a lot of thought," said Lacey. "Living on a military installation can even provide a false sense of security when it comes to natural disasters."

The new system is currently being tested internally by and MCIPAC is working to educate personnel and family members about the system's importance, so everyone will understand how to respond when the alarm is fully functional. 

"The system will be ready for implementation upon completion of the public education campaigns and testing and evaluation period," said Lacey. "We hope to do this during Exercise Constant Vigilance Sept. 10-14."