In times of crisis, the city of Beverly Hills sends out push notifications via voice message, SMS/text message, email and more to alert residents about a potential safety hazard or concern. In April, the City Council advised staff to move forward with plans to establish an additional emergency notification system: a citywide outdoor warning siren (OWS). The sirens are placed strategically around the city to ensure maximum coverage if activated, and add another layer of emergency notification redundancy, especially for those who are outdoors. The intent of the system is to provide mass warning in the event of natural and manmade disasters, including wildfires, earthquakes, floods, civil disturbance, crowd control and more. To test the new OWS and inform the community about wildfire evacuation planning, the City of Beverly Hills’ Office of Emergency Management is hosting two virtual community meetings on Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. and Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.
To demonstrate the siren for residents who are interested in hearing the new OWS firsthand, the city has planned in-person meetings on Dec. 13 at Roxbury Park at 4 p.m. and Dec. 15 at Greystone Mansion at 10 a.m. The siren will be activated as a test for no more than 30 seconds, and no action will be required.
