You know the story: wildfires in Los Angeles sparked a flurry of emergency alerts. But not all were accurate. One alert meant for those near the Kenneth Fire went to all 10 million residents of LA County. Panic set in, and city officials started digging into the issue. The tech company, Genasys, behind these alerts said they couldn't replicate the mistake. They also assured that new safeguards have been added to prevent future errors.

So, how does this emergency alert system work? When a wildfire hits, local managers and cops send out evacuation alerts. Genasys uses an algorithm to draw "alert polygons, " determining who gets the message. If you're in the polygon, an alert comes to your device. This system considers factors like population density and escape routes to make these polygons.

City officials noted that varying factors, such as where your phone is registered, can affect who gets the alert. The algorithm can target areas precisely, sometimes even distinguishing between one side of a street and the other. This happened during the Eaton Fire in Pasadena. Natural fire breaks, like homes facing tree-covered hillsides versus concrete lots, can influence these targeted alerts.

Former FEMA boss and Genasys board member, Craig Fugate, believes this tech aims to streamline evacuations and save lives. The next step? Seeing if these alerts in LA gave folks enough time and info to protect themselves.

Safeguarding LA: How Alert Tech Is Being Improved After Errors

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