Crime & Safety
More Emergency Beach Evacuation Tests Coming To South Bay
An emergency evacuation alert system was tested last week in Torrance. Find out how it went and expect more to come this month.
TORRANCE, CA — The first test of the Beach Emergency Evacuation Lights System (BEELS) was conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors last week.
The evacuation alert system’s lights flashed, and the announcements were broadcast Thursday afternoon. The volume of the evacuation warnings, however, was not as loud as officials planned, the department said.
“This is why they call it a test,” DBH Community and Marketing Services Division Chief Carol Baker said in a statement. “This is new technology—it’s never been tried on any beach before.”
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More testing is planned throughout May on Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. The next test at full volume is scheduled for May 13.
The Department of Beaches and Harbors is committed to increasing access to Los Angeles County’s iconic beaches.
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While other beach evacuation alert systems have sirens and announcements, BEELS is the first evacuation warning system worldwide to incorporate flashing lights specifically to alert those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
During a beach evacuation, BEELS will flash white LED lights mounted on permanent structures and some lifeguard towers, as well as broadcast an audible siren and an evacuation announcement in both English and Spanish. The announcement message will change depending on the evacuation type, and the lights will flash slowly for a water-only evacuation and quickly for a full water and beach evacuation.
More information about BEELS is available on the website at beaches.lacounty.gov/beels.
The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors manages Marina del Rey harbor and 25 miles of beaches along the Los Angeles County coastline, including world-famous Zuma, Malibu, Surfrider, and Venice beaches. In addition to promoting and maintaining a clean coastline, DBH operates Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey.
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