Olivehurst teen pushes for more emergency sirens to protect community during disasters

A 13-year-old Olivehurst boy is pushing for expanded emergency warning systems in his community after a recently restored Cold War-era siren reignited conversations about disaster preparedness.

The Olivehurst siren was originally installed decades ago when nearby Beale Air Force Base was considered a potential Soviet target. After two years of refurbishment work by the Olivehurst Public Utility District, the siren is now back in service as an emergency alert tool for local residents.

But 13-year-old Zach, a self-described "siren lover," says one siren is not enough.

"This siren specifically can only reach a radius of 1.5 miles," he said.

That coverage leaves large portions of Olivehurst, which spans roughly 8.4 square miles, outside the siren's reach.

"A lot of the people in this community are elders or people without cell service, and these sirens are one of the only ways to reach those people and tell them, 'Hey, something is wrong,' " Zach said.

Despite being only 13 years old, Zach will already be taking college classes this fall, and he is advocating for stronger emergency preparedness measures across Yuba County.

His concerns are shaped in part by memories of the 2017 Oroville Dam crisis, which triggered mass evacuations across Northern California when he was just 4 years old.

Now, he wants to help fund additional warning sirens throughout Olivehurst and hopes they could eventually be managed by local agencies, including the Olivehurst Fire Department, Olivehurst Public Utility District or Yuba County Office of Emergency Services.

"One of my main ideas was to give it to either the Olivehurst Fire Department, the Olivehurst Public Utility District or the Yuba County Office of Emergency Services," Zach said.

Yuba County Emergency Operations Manager Oscar Marin praised Zach's efforts and said the county shares many of the same concerns.

"Having the kid think about it gets the parents thinking about it, and it's spreading," Marin said.

Marin said the county is already studying options for additional sirens and pursuing grant funding, but cost remains a major hurdle.

"Now there's more robust sirens out there, but it still needs the infrastructure to actually be installed," Marin said. "And then the maintenance issue. I love the thought. We wish there was an abundance of money to grab from, but that's what hinders county emergency projects — the funding."

To help accelerate the effort, Zach created an online fundraiser to raise money for more sirens.

"Although there's a chance it could get done eventually, I think an action like this needs to be taken into effect as soon as possible," he said.

County officials say emergency alerts are already backed up by multiple systems, including cellphone notifications, a new emergency app, the county's 211 system and door-to-door notifications from deputies during evacuations.

Still, Zach said that when seconds matter, he doesn't want anyone left without a warning.

Yuba County faces a range of natural disaster threats, including flooding near the Feather and Yuba rivers and wildfire danger in surrounding foothill communities. Officials say emergency preparedness efforts remain ongoing.

Yuba County is prone to flooding because it's located where the Yuba River meets the Feather River. Plus, its foothills are prone to wildfires during the summer months. Oes says they're always working on ways to keep people safe.