STAR: Surviving Tornadoes through Awareness and Reaction

The Surviving Tornadoes through Awareness and Reaction program gives grants to local units of goverment. The grantee then places the radio in a place of public assembly or mobile home. The radio remains the property of the unit of government and is inventoried and tested annually by their representatives. Any mobile home resident that is interested in receiving a radio should contact their local emergency manager and encourage the jurisdiction to participate in the 2002 STAR program.

MHOAI has a copy of the map showing the grantees for both FY 2002 and FY 2001. MHOAI also has a list of the grant points of contact if you are interested to find out if radios are still available in your area. There are some areas of the state that tone-alert warnings are not possible. The local emergency manager in your area will be able to tell you, or us, if this is available to you.

We urge everyone in Illinois to take advantage of this grant. Benefits include working with local officials to provide a plan for communities should sever weather hit your area. These radios are the latest built and not large, and may alert you sooner than what is already in your area. MHOAI will work with your community, but we also need you to work with us. You can also contact Thomas Zimmerman of Illinois Emergency Management Agency at (217) 557-4757 if you have any additional questions. The Illinois Department of Public Health has also sent out a letter asking landlords and managers of our communities to get involved with this program.