Aliso Viejo Emergency System Tested Wednesday

ALISO VIEJO, CA —Aliso Viejo and other south county cities warned residents of a wireless emergency alert Wednesday, March 6 at 3 p.m., the city announced. Aliso Viejo city officials say that no registration is required, as the system activates to all phones within a specific location during a real emergency or disaster.

According to Emergency Response Coordinator Jordan Villwock, the system works like an Amber Alert.

In a real emergency or disaster, the system can be activated to provide lifesaving instructions to anyone in the city limits, the city of Aliso Viejo has said. How it works will be judged by a survey they hope all will participate in, after the fact.

This test, emergency texts in most cities, follow the already real-life application of the system from Valentine's Day this year when merchants were told to put up flood gates during the record level rains.

Laguna Beach combines three loudspeakers that provide real-time instructions to any within earshot.

Villwock described the system of three outdoor speakers in Laguna Beach that tie with the WEA system and blare to all within 3,000 feet instructions regarding the impending emergencies.

The speakers, located at Heisler Park, at the peak of the Main Beach Lifeguard Tower, and the roof of City Hall, are aimed to create a triangular "zone" in an area that would flood during a catastrophic event.

"In the event of a real emergency, both systems, the WEA and the speakers, can be activated to provide life-saving instructions to residents and visitors, alike," he said.

With the speakers, immediate instructions follow, rather than just an alarming sound that could send residents into a panic.

"If you are in the Downtown Outdoor Warning system cover area, you will hear a recorded message indicating that it is a test," Villwock said.

The new system, authorized by the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, is one of the first of its kind in Orange County.

The test, Wednesday, was a part of Tsunami Awareness Month, Villwock said.
The City of Aliso Viejo will also be testing their independent Wireless Emergency Alert system at the same time.

Remember to take your survey and tell Aliso Viejo how the emergency test worked for you!