Emergency alerts should mind geography, says Hawaii official

On Sept. 2, residents of all eight of Hawaii’s main islands heard outdoor warning sirens, part of the state’s monthly emergency preparedness test, designed to strengthen public safety and communication systems in the face of increasing natural disasters.

The one-minute siren activation took place alongside a coordinated test of the Emergency Alert System broadcast on local radio and television stations.

James Barros, administrator of the Emergency Management Agency in Hawaii, said the most recent tests in September revealed the need for more evacuation messaging in emergency alerts, tailored to each person’s physical location. Details, such as whether residents are in buildings, on the beach or at high elevation, each require a different response.

“So if you’re sitting in Waikiki, four stories and above, then probably stay there, you’re OK,” Barros said. “If you’re a tourist and you’re outside of Waikiki and you’re at the Pali, don’t come back into Waikiki. If at all possible, don’t get on the roads. Just hunker down where you’re at.”

Normally, Barros said, monthly tests of the state’s 400 sirens, the largest outdoor warning system in the world, highlight issues like battery lifespan, connectivity and animal damage.

During the deadly Lahaina fires in 2023, the sirens did not activate, causing delays in critical evacuation zones. The fires resulted in immense property damage and left more than 100 people dead. Some experts said the siren malfunction was due to mechanical failure or unavailable cellular service.

Though the Hawaii’s eight main islands face a diverse range of hazards, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and wildfires, Barros said the agency only uses one sound for emergency alerts so as not to stir confusion during an emergency.

“When I was growing up, we did have like five different tones for different events that was part of our civil defense, I think, back when we had air raid sirens,” Barros explained. “Now we have all hazards. There is no wildfire sound, it’s one alert siren warning you that something’s happening: ‘Pay attention.'”

Barros said that both the sirens and emergency alerts are dependent on the scale of a given event, activated first by county, then by statewide if needed.

“If there’s a wildfire very specific to an area, the counties can geofence it and sound the sirens that they want. If it’s a statewide for example, the tsunami warning that the state went into [in July] we activated at the state level all the sirens at one time,” he said.

To combat natural disasters that spread across islands, Barros said, it’s important to use every communication method, including sirens, wireless alerts, TV notifications and social media, to ensure that both residents and emergency responders are ready.

A 2017 report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that there was no single warning system the was the most effective at reaching the majority of people, but recommended governments use multiple systems that cover large areas to deliver a specific, actionable message.

“We’re trying every medium possible,” Barros said. “The other piece that we’re messaging is to check on your neighbors to the left and right of you, and ensure they know what’s happening too.”