Hawaii has a robust emergency siren warning system. It sat silent during the deadly wildfires

[John Robinson]

Here's an idea for the sirens in Hawaii, though it would require some updating of the siren system:

Have the sirens capable of sounding a number of different tones, each for a different hazard. This would alleviate the problem of people hearing the sirens and thinking it's a tsunami when it's a wildfire.

You might say that no one would be able to remember what hazard each tone represented. Well, I have seen such a system work in the area of the Pine Bluff Arsenal, where nerve agents left over from WWII were stored for decades. Their sirens had different tones for tests, tornadoes, nerve agent leaks (except for minor leaks that were contained within concrete storage bunkers, there never were any), all-clear, and maybe one or two others. Each household was given a refrigerator magnet that detailed what hazard each tone was sounded for.

 

[John Farley]

Some of the newer siren systems also have voice capabilities. They have upgraded to those in Edwardsville, IL where I used to live, and when I was there visiting family in January of this year there was a test, and I thought they worked pretty well. The voice clearly indicated it was just a test.

 

[JamesCaruso]

I've seen too many media says "Dora's strong winds" so as long as you don't go there

That could be another entry in the “poor media use of weather terminology” thread…

Also lots of people saying “hurricane force winds,” which were clearly nowhere near the island.

This is not just being a stickler because I’m a weather geek; precision is important when trying to understand the facts of a complex situation, and too many people repeat things they know nothing about, and propagate falsehoods and misperceptions.

There’s a lesson in there, though… It‘s easy to spot imprecision when you know something about the subject, but we are all guilty of doing the same with subjects we do not know as much about…

 

[Jamie H]

There's a video breakdown here. I haven't watched it yet but Trey does a good job usually.

 

[Mike Smith]

Exactly why we need a National Disaster Review Board!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1692161100261765348

 

[Matthew E Herbert]

Here's an idea for the sirens in Hawaii, though it would require some updating of the siren system:

Have the sirens capable of sounding a number of different tones, each for a different hazard. This would alleviate the problem of people hearing the sirens and thinking it's a tsunami when it's a wildfire.

You might say that no one would be able to remember what hazard each tone represented. Well, I have seen such a system work in the area of the Pine Bluff Arsenal, where nerve agents left over from WWII were stored for decades. Their sirens had different tones for tests, tornadoes, nerve agent leaks (except for minor leaks that were contained within concrete storage bunkers, there never were any), all-clear, and maybe one or two others. Each household was given a refrigerator magnet that detailed what hazard each tone was sounded for.

In the case of Hawaii, their siren system is comprised of American Signal I-Force sirens that are not only capable of different distinct tones, but also pre-recorded and live public address.

 

[Matthew E Herbert]

In the case of Hawaii, their siren system is comprised of American Signal I-Force sirens that are not only capable of different distinct tones, but also pre-recorded and live public address.

Correction, they are Federal Signal Modulators albeit with the same capabilities listed above. Hopefully they will review their policies and practices

 

[Mike Smith]

Hopefully they will review their policies and practices

This is exactly why we need a National Disaster Review Board. The Hawaii attorney general is going to do the investigation. While I'm sure she is intelligent and well-intended, an AG department doesn't have the needed expertise.

 

[rdale]

Just to stop this in its tracks - there is NO way we can train the public to denote different siren patterns.

The best siren tone is the up/down/up/down like a fire truck siren. But that's also what many from the cold war era grew up knowing as the nuclear attack tone...

If you need a cheatsheet to tell the different types of alert tones, that's when you know

 

[John Farley]

In response to the last two comments:

1. I heard on the news a short time ago that the attorney general is turning it over to an independent review. Good news if it is really independent.

2. If it is true that the Maui sirens have voice capability, then no need to worry about modulation. And all the more reason it is appalling that apparently nobody tried to activate them.

 

[John Robinson]

From what I've seen, the area over which the voice can be heard and understood is typically much less than the area over which the siren can be heard.

 

[John Robinson]

Maui's emergency management chief has resigned, citing health reasons.

 

[Mike Smith]

Maui's emergency management chief has resigned, citing health reasons.

The resignation was almost certainly due to the issues cited here: As People Were Losing Their Lives and Homes, Hawaii Manager was Concerned About 'Equity'

I had to read the NY Post story twice -- the info was so shocking -- to make sure I was understanding it correctly. Political correctness came before both fighting the Lahaina Fire and alerting the people in its path.

 

[Diane Bianchi]

The resignation was almost certainly due to the issues cited here: As People Were Losing Their Lives and Homes, Hawaii Manager was Concerned About 'Equity'

I had to read the NY Post story twice -- the info was so shocking -- to make sure I was understanding it correctly. Political correctness came before both fighting the Lahaina Fire and alerting the people in its path.

My God, when will all of this craziness stop?

 

[rdale]

My God, when will all of this craziness stop?

Oh people - especially those who aren't in the emergency management field like Mike - quite regularly jump to conclusions long before having the facts.

I'd suggest waiting for the reports to come out before joining the "equity was the cause" bandwagon. The "Washington Free Beacon" isn't known for its accuracy for a reason