Supervisor Alan Wong Introduces Resolution to Restore San Francisco’s Outdoor Public Warning System

SAN FRANCISCO January 10, 2026 – At today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Alan Wong introduced a resolution urging the City to prioritize the restoration of San Francisco’s Outdoor Public Warning System, beginning with tsunami evacuation zones and coastal areas, and to identify funding for this long-delayed public safety infrastructure.

San Francisco’s outdoor warning system consists of approximately 119 sirens located throughout the city. The system has been offline since December 2019 due to cybersecurity concerns, leaving the City without an operational outdoor warning system to supplement cell phone alerts during major emergencies.

“Emergency preparedness depends on redundancy, not hope,” said Supervisor Alan Wong. “When power goes out, networks fail, or people are asleep or outdoors, cell phone alerts alone are not enough. Outdoor warning sirens are a proven, citywide safety tool, and keeping them offline for more than six years is an unacceptable risk to public safety.”

Recent emergencies have underscored the consequences of that gap. In December 2024, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County triggered a tsunami warning for San Francisco, yet the City lacked a functioning outdoor warning system. First responders were forced to drive along Ocean Beach using loudspeakers to warn residents. In December 2025, a major power outage affecting approximately 130,000 customers for up to 48 hours left many residents without access to emergency alerts or the ability to contact 911.

Community members in coastal neighborhoods have raised growing concern about the absence of an outdoor warning system.

“For families living and working in coastal and tsunami evacuation zones, warning sirens are not optional; they are critical,” said John Crabtree, a District 4 resident who has been active in neighborhood advocacy in the Sunset District. “We cannot rely on a single alert system when earthquakes, tsunamis, and power outages are real risks. Restoring the outdoor warning system is about protecting lives before it is too late.”

National disasters further illustrate the consequences of delayed investment. Communities without warning sirens have experienced devastating loss of life during floods and wildfires, while nearby areas with operational warning systems avoided fatalities. Emergency management experts consistently emphasize that layered and redundant warning systems are essential to saving lives.

“When warning infrastructure is missing, first responders are forced to divert time and resources away from lifesaving response,” Supervisor Alan Wong said. “A functioning outdoor warning system allows emergency personnel to focus on coordination, evacuation, and rescue rather than compensating for a preventable gap in our alerting capabilities.”

While San Francisco’s AlertSF system remains an important tool, it relies largely on opt-in participation and smartphone access, reaching only a portion of the city’s population. Cell phone-based alerts do not reliably reach people who are sleeping, outdoors, visiting the city, unhoused, elderly, or without smartphones. Outdoor warning systems remain one of the few tools capable of reaching large populations simultaneously during catastrophic events.

The resolution urges the Capital Planning Committee to identify funding for restoration of the Outdoor Public Warning System, including through unallocated Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response bond funds or other emergency preparedness resources. It also calls on the Department of Emergency Management to pursue state and federal grant opportunities, including through FEMA and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and to present a plan and timeline for restoring the system once funding is identified.

“Every year we delay restoration, costs rise and risks grow,” Supervisor Alan Wong added. “This resolution is about closing a known gap in our emergency preparedness and acting responsibly before the next disaster, not after.”

The resolution affirms the Board of Supervisors’ commitment to restoring the Outdoor Public Warning System as an essential part of San Francisco’s emergency alert strategy and emphasizes the importance of moving forward without further delay.