Why Audible Alerts Matter

In the face of earthquakes, wildfires, or air-quality emergencies, seconds matter. But in San Francisco, we no longer have a citywide system to alert everyone, especially people who are outside, asleep, or disconnected from digital devices.

The Problem

San Francisco deactivated its emergency sirens in 2020. Since then, no system has replaced them. Text alerts alone are not enough.

The Solution

We propose a modern, resilient siren system designed with cybersecurity and equity in mind—complementing existing alerts and reaching everyone, not just smartphone users.