On Thursday, November 17th., at approximately 14:00 hrs. a number of industries on the island of Montreal will be
testing their emergency alert sirens, one of which could affect a small
portion of Côte Saint-Luc.
In the event of an
explosion of the ammonia tanks at the Parmalat factory on St. Jacques
and Elmhurst, the affected areas would be the very south end of District
4 (Westluke, Smart, Magnolia and Luck) and the green space behind the
Waldorf residence.
While
there is no particular action that must be taken, it is important that we are aware, should residents ask questions or be nervous.
Depending on the winds, the sirens may be heard in southern CSL. There is no cause for alarm, as this is only a test.
The
affected residents are supposed to have received a letter from the
Centre de sécurité civile, though we are planning a CodeRed call-out to
the affected areas anyway.
In
the event of an actual siren alert or ammonia explosion, people should
not evacuate, but rather shelter-in-place, close all the windows, and turn off
ventilation systems. The plume from an ammonia explosion would dissipate
into the air within about 20 minutes. If the sirens were to be heard,
residents should turn on local media and follow specific instructions.
