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Committee raises outreach, limits of outdoor sirens and Everbridge notifications after tests
Summary
Members reviewed the city’s outdoor tsunami siren protocols, noted public confusion during tests and discussed reliance on Everbridge notifications and educational messaging rather than sole reliance on outdoor sirens.
The Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee reviewed outdoor tsunami siren protocols and public reaction to recent siren tests, and agreed to emphasize Everbridge and public education in notification strategy.
The committee discussed an attached briefing on outdoor tsunami siren protocols and a test video that showed mixed public response to an earlier exercise. Kim, a Depoe Bay staff member, reminded the group that outdoor sirens are intended for people outdoors and do not reach people indoors; “Outdoor warning sign means that you have to be outdoors. You're not gonna hear indoors,” Kim said. Committee members noted that sirens have limited reach where power and infrastructure are interrupted and that some coastal cities have elected not to fund or repair sirens.
Why it matters: siren repair or replacement is capital-intensive and may not reach the largest audiences. The committee emphasized layered notification strategies—Everbridge messages, local outreach and education about how to respond to ground shaking and local evacuation cues.
Committee discussion highlighted three points: sirens are useful but not a standalone solution; indoor audiences need other alert channels such as Everbridge and door-to-door or lodging outreach; and messaging should teach people how to react in a local-tsunami scenario (for local tsunamis, “if you feel the shake, go to high ground” was noted).
Several members and staff said only a few coast cities still maintain outdoor sirens and some cities have declined to fund repairs; committee members urged the city to refine its public messages rather than present sirens as the primary notification method. The group also reviewed an after-action from a recent tabletop exercise and agreed to continue tests of radio hosts and Everbridge enrollment as part of outreach.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to run tests, share the siren protocol memo with the City Council as part of upcoming public comment and prioritize Everbridge signups and public education in the near term.
