Southern California Congress members call for investigation into LA County's emergency alert system
Los Angeles leaders are calling for answers weeks after an alert was mistakenly sent to hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles County residents, warning them to evacuate their homes in the midst of the January's destructive wildfires.
The alert, which was sent to residents throughout the county, no matter how close they were to the Kenneth Fire that burned more than 1,000 acres near Calabasas while the Eaton and Palisades fires raged elsewhere, was sent by notification-system software operator Genasys Inc, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission.
On Monday, a number of Southern California based members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed several letters sent to the county and those involved in sending the alert. The more than a dozen representatives included Rep. Robert Garcia, the former mayor of Long Beach.
"As members of Congress representing Los Angeles County, we write regarding erroneous emergency alerts issued during the recent deadly wildfires," the letters said. "In life-safety emergencies, appropriately timed, targeted, and clear emergency alert messages can mean the difference between life and death. However, unclear messages sent to the wrong locations, multiple times and after the emergency has passed, can lead to alerting fatigue and erosion of public trust. In this time of intense grief, loss, and dislocation, we are working to learn all of the lessons of the past weeks, and to swiftly implement reforms to ensure they never happen again."
Their letters have requested a response by April 1.
Related: Company behind incorrect evacuation alert in Los Angeles says it has added new safeguards
The move comes less than a week after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to conduct a review on the emergency notification system.
The motion, which was penned by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath, called for an external and independent analysis of the county's alert systems.
"Our board is committed to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in the face of increasingly severe natural disasters," Barger said in a statement. "This independent assessment will also ensure we are better prepared for future disasters and can act swiftly to protect lives and property."
Their review will also look into the Los Angeles Times report that some Altadena residents did not receive emergency alerts for evacuation orders until hours after the Eaton Fire broke out.
Their motion called for 90-day progress reports on the investigation.
Residents and local politicians alike have criticized the system since the erroneous alert was sent due to the Kenneth Fire, which was only meant to be sent to people living in the West Hills area where the blaze was actually burning. The false alert covered an area so wide it even reached some cellphones in Orange County.