Tag: siren testing

BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, May 14, the city of Beverly Hills will conduct a citywide test of its Outdoor Warning System (OWS) as part of the Beverly Hills City Council’s goal of enhancing public safety during an emergency.

During the test, all 12 sirens will be activated starting at approximately 1 p.m. for about three minutes. The sirens have been placed to ensure the broadcast is heard in all parts of the city’s residential and business districts. No action is required from the community during the testing.

“The terrible wildfires just a few months ago reminded us that immediate information is essential in any kind of disaster,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian. “The OWS system is another valuable notification tool. During an emergency, you will also receive information from the City by phone, text, email, social media, beverlyhills.org, and radio broadcasts.”

In a real emergency, a siren to warn of approaching danger would sound followed by instructions in multiple languages. Information includes if the community should evacuate, shelter in place or take other safety measures.

Beverly Hills will be testing the sirens periodically to ensure they are operating effectively and that residents are familiar with the program. All announcements will be broadcasted in English, Farsi and Spanish.

To view a map of the siren locations and to learn more about the OWS, visit www.beverlyhills.org/outdoorwarning.

For any questions regarding this program, residents may call Emergency Management at (310) 285-1000.

During an Emergency

The Outdoor Warning System will utilize two (2) different alert types. Alert types are as follows:
-Evacuation orders
-Shelter-in-place orders

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—On Sunday, September 29, the city of Beverly Hills tested its Outdoor Warning System as part of our Just In Case BH Emergency Preparedness Fair at Roxbury Park. Three sirens were activated – one at Roxbury Park, one at La Cienega and one at Fire Station 3. This is just one of the many resources the City has to help our community safely evacuate when there is an emergency.

The Beverly Hills full siren test will take place on Thursday, October 17 where all 12 sirens will go off around the city at 10:30 am. This test correlates with the Great Shakeout national event.

During audible testing, those in Beverly Hills should expect to hear a voice command stating:

-“This is a test of the emergency warning system. This is only a test.”
-Followed by a 30 second tone.
-“This is a test of the emergency warning system. This is only a test.”
Following these first two tests, the system will be tested audibly on the first Wednesday of every quarter at 1 p.m.

The city of Beverly Hills’ Outdoor Warning System is a network of outdoor emergency warning sirens designed to alert and warn those outdoors of potential or emergent hazards that may threaten life and/or property.

The Outdoor Warning System is designed to work in coordination with existing emergency notification systems and processes to add an additional layer of notification redundancy in the event of an impending emergency that may threaten life and/or property. The Outdoor Warning System is intended for outdoor alerts and warning.

During an Emergency

The Outdoor Warning System will utilize three (3) different alert types. Alert types are as follows:

-Evacuation orders;
-Shelter-in-place orders; and
-Voice message notification.
-Should this system be activated, community members should look to the City’s additional notification platforms for further information.
-City of Beverly Hills Website: www.beverlyhills.org
-City of Beverly Hills Disaster Hotline: (310) 550-4680
-Radio: 1500 AM
-Television: Channels 10 and 35
-Twitter: www.twitter.com/beverlyhillsoem
-BHPDalert: Text “BHPDALERT” to 888777 to receive text message alerts
-Beverly Hills OEM Alert: Text “BEVHILLS” to 888777 to receive text message alerts
-Emergency Alert Program: www.beverlyhills.org/emergencynotification
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityofBevHills
-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityofbevhills

To see where a siren may be located near you, visit beverlyhills.org/outdoorwarning

By Trevor