Can you hear me now? Berkeley is making sure the answer is 'yes' when there's an emergency.
The city is finalizing plans to install a new system of warning sirens that will alert residents during emergency situations, according to a report in Berkeleyside.
Under the new system, which officials hope launches by the end of the year, more than a dozen sirens will be able to blast alert beeps and pre-recorded voice messages when there are emergencies such as fires, earthquakes, and tsunamis. They will tell residents what to do and where to go.
"We’re not sure what that wording will be – as simple as: ‘There is a fire in Tilden Park, these zones (naming numbers) evacuate,'" Assistant Fire Chief Keith May told the publication.
The alerts are designed to function even when the power is out, as they operate both on battery and solar.
"I think our mindset is to use it for life-threatening situations only," May said. "Evacuate now or prepare to evacuate."
Speakers will be placed at at least 14 locations throughout the city to maximize coverage. The system is funded by Measure FF, which Berkeley voters approved in November 2020, and will cost around $2 million.
Mill Valley and Laguna Beach already implemented the same alert system.
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