With record-setting mudslides and wildfires, emergency alert systems have become a public safety discussion, and the Senate Appropriations Committee will consider legislation Friday to mandate a statewide system.
SB 833 would create an evacuation "red alert" system that could be tailored to specific areas and circumstances, and require software updates to support the system.
Opt-in systems have been used in the past, but this bill would create a locally run system that would automatically enroll residents. The system could include national, state and local alerts.
The legislation would also require updates of all wireless emergency alert (WEA) software and a federally registered WEA operator. Since this would be a "state-mandated local program," funding must come from the state but can also include in-kind money from federal grants or the private sector.
"The red alert system shall incorporate a variety of notification resources and developing technologies that may be tailored to the circumstances and geography of the underlying evacuation," the legislation reads. "The red alert system shall utilize the state-utilized emergency notification systems, including but not limited to, local digital signs, radio, television, focused text, automated emergency notification systems, or other technologies."
A related bill, automatically enrolling residents for emergency text alerts, is in the Governmental Organization Committee of the Assembly.
“Lives depend on the Legislature and Governor taking swift action to ensure statewide emergency alert standards are adopted, training is implemented and funding is secured to ensure communities big and small have reliable alert systems deployed,” state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-North Bay), who introduced the bill, said in a January press release.
The bill was also introduced by state Sens. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo and Santa Clara counties), with co-introductions from Assemblymembers Marc Levine (D-Marin County), Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters).
