SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – San Francisco's Outdoor Public Warning System has been down since 2019, when officials took it offline after realizing it could easily be hacked to disseminate incorrect information.
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The system could have been another tool to warn residents about flood watch, unsafe shoreline or fire danger. It would have been of major use during the recent winter storms that pummeled the Bay Area and even caused one of the OPWS speakers to fall on Lincoln Way between 24th and 25th Ave.
Prior to their dismantling, the loud speakers blared over the city each Tuesday at noon. However, they were taken offline for a major upgrade four years ago. "Just to make sure that in the case that anyone might have access to it, they're not sending misinformation or wrong information to it," Victor Lim with the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management told KCBS Radio.
Lim said the original project came in at $2.5 million and was expected to take two years. "However, due to setbacks from COVID, a lot of projects were put on pause and also there's inflation. Now we are estimating that the total cost would be about approximately 40% higher," he explained.
The department has not been able to fit it into the city budget, so officials are now on the hunt for a grant.
In the meantime, Lim recommended that residents get cell phone warnings through AlertSF. Emergency Alert System warnings will also go out on stations such as KCBS Radio and officials will even go door to door if necessary.
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