Former Mayor London Breed said in August 2023 that the city was concerned about unauthorized access to the system.<\/p>\n
“We unfortunately had people who had access to the system who could use it for the wrong reasons,” Breed said.<\/p>\n
At the time, city officials said upgrades were planned to improve security and restore the system. Mary Ellen Carroll, head of the Department of Emergency Management, expressed optimism in August 2023.<\/p>\n
“I think we expect in the next six months that this project will be well on its way,” Carroll said.<\/p>\n
According to the Civil Grand Jury, little progress has been made since then.<\/p>\n
The report argues that city leaders must either commit to restoring the sirens or remove them altogether. “The ambivalence in itself is a problem,” said Rob Chansler, a member of the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury.<\/p>\n
Since the system was deactivated, maintenance has largely ceased.<\/p>\n
During an inspection, some siren equipment appeared unstable, while others showed signs of corrosion and deterioration.<\/p>\n
Along Ocean Beach, where exposure to the elements is severe, some siren components have been removed because they posed potential safety hazards.<\/p>\n
“We’re seeing a former siren installation. This is one that was..where the actual siren horns were taken down a few months ago,” Chansler said. “Many years out in the weather in Ocean Beach is bad for a lot of physical infrastructure including siren horns and they were in danger of falling on folks,” he added.<\/p>\n
A system upgrade estimated to cost $20 million in 2019 would likely be more expensive today.<\/p>\n
Some city officials have argued that funding for such an upgrade is unavailable.<\/p>\n
The debate is particularly significant for neighborhoods along San Francisco’s western shoreline, where tsunami risks are a concern.<\/p>\n
“The sirens are important especially for the Sunset neighborhood because we are along the coast,” Supervisor Alan Wong said.<\/p>\n
Part of Wong’s district lies within a tsunami evacuation zone. In January, he introduced legislation urging the city to prioritize restoration of the siren system.<\/p>\n
Currently, emergency notifications are delivered primarily through mobile alerts and public announcements.<\/p>\n
“So having sirens adds an extra layer of protection because not everybody has a cell phone,” Wong said.<\/p>\n
The grand jury report also questioned whether the historic siren system remains the most effective emergency warning tool. Originally installed during the Cold War era to warn residents of potential attacks, today, the sirens provide little information about the nature of an emergency.<\/p>\n
“The city has changed, the needs have changed, technology has changed, so there is especially wireless emergency alerts and nearly everybody has a phone in their pockets,” Chansler said.<\/p>\n
The report also criticized the city’s current AlertSF notification system, concluding that messages often lack sufficient detail for residents to make informed decisions. Reviewing a sample alert warning residents to avoid an area because of police activity, Chansler questioned the lack of specifics.<\/p>\n
“What does avoid the area mean? How far, how many blocks, just avoid his intersection?” he said. “For the next hour? For the next day?” Chansler added.<\/p>\n
He also noted that many follow-up alerts simply state that an issue has been resolved without providing additional context.<\/p>\n
“The typical message from AlertSF just says, the problem was resolved. Ah, is there still a big hole there? Is it ok to visit the area?” he said.<\/p>\n
The Civil Grand Jury concluded that San Francisco lacks a clear emergency alert strategy and recommended that the mayor and Board of Supervisors take steps to improve how residents are warned about disasters and other emergencies.<\/p>\n
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