Calif. Lawmakers Review Failures of Emergency Warning Systems in October Wildfires

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The failure of cellphone and other privately owned systems crippled emergency-warning efforts during California's deadly October wildfires, and the state lacks authority to order those companies to strengthen their systems against disasters, the state's top emergency manager said Monday. Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state Office of Emergency Services, was among several who testified at a legislative hearing investigating the failures of emergency-warning systems during the recent Northern California fires. The fires killed 44 people and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes and other structures. Ghilarducci called it the largest loss of homes in any California disaster since the 1906 quake in San Francisco. The fires spread at night as many victims slept, knocking out cellphones, land lines, internet and cable television in some areas as cell towers and other equipment burned, hampering alert services that relied on texts, social media and broadcast. Lawmakers described neighbors, police and firefighters knocking on doors and honking car horns to waken and warn residents. "We know that particularly the elderly and the vulnerable lacked those important minutes to evacuate," said Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, a Democrat from Santa Barbara. One problem is that most emergency alert systems operate on privately owned phone and other communications systems, Ghilarducci said. Financial concerns may keep those companies from expanding and strengthening t...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents News Source Type: news