County official urges reliance on AlertSolano, cautions against outdoor sirens

Robin Raines, Solano County's emergency services manager, told the Rio Vista City Council on Oct. 21 that the county's AlertSolano program, delivered through the Everbridge platform, is the primary tool for notifying residents during evacuations.

Raines said the system is opt-in and can send calls, texts, emails and messages to multiple devices and locations based on how residents register. "We can call them, we can text them, we can email them," she said, describing the system's flexibility.

She explained that Nixle, another channel county staff can use, delivers messages by ZIP code and is appropriate only when an entire ZIP code is asked to take protective action. "Nixle is leveraged by ZIP code," Raines said, adding that residents can opt in by texting their ZIP code to 888-777.

Raines also described the county's use of wireless emergency alerts (the cell-tower-based messages that look like AMBER alerts), the Emergency Alert System (TV ticker and weather radio), and traditional door-to-door notifications by law enforcement or fire personnel. "The authority for evacuation messaging always comes from law enforcement, even if it's a fire," she said.

On the question of outdoor sirens, Raines said her professional assessment is that sirens are not a reliable substitute for the other alert tools. "Outdoor sirens are intended to notify people outside," she said, noting that well-insulated homes and daytime indoor settings often prevent indoor occupants from hearing the warning. She said outdoor sirens can also cause unintended consequences such as roadway congestion during an evacuation and that state guidance (CEMS) influences what local jurisdictions can fund and deploy to remain eligible for some state grants.

Chief Henning of the Rio Vista fire department supplemented the county briefing with a short slideshow summarizing options and costs. He said the department will post the county's guidance and links to registration pages on the fire department website and noted rough local cost examples: Suisun City previously estimated a five-stanchion outdoor siren system at about $350,000.

Mayor Okumura thanked the presenters and asked that staff provide the registration links and a short public workshop or outreach for residents who need help signing up. The presenters said county staff can assist with outreach and registration, particularly for demographics that may need in-person help.

The presentation concluded with council members acknowledging the trade-offs: sirens can be effective for outdoor populations such as coastal tsunami zones, but for densely populated residential neighborhoods the county-recommended, multi-channel, opt-in alerting approach offers better reach and clearer guidance for an evacuation or shelter-in-place order.