Malibu Gets FEMA Grant For Emergency Siren System As Part Of Wildfire Preparedness
MALIBU (CBSLA) – The city of Malibu will receiving federal funding to develop a proposed outdoor emergency siren system aimed at improving preparedness and response to wildfires and other disasters, officials announced Monday.
A hazard mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will allow Mailbu to finish development of the outdoor warning siren system, which the city has been working on in response to recommendations made after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.
The grant will cover 75% of the total costs - which officials say is approximately $713,724 - and requires a local funding match of at least 25%, or approximately $237,908.
The siren system is just one component for emergency communications citywide when systems are down, along with changeable messaging to be placed on PCH and canyon roads, and Wireless Emergency Alerts, similar to Amber Alerts, which can reach all cell phones within a certain area without subscriptions.
"Wildfire has always been Malibu's number-one public safety threat, but the size, duration and severity of the Woolsey Fire was unprecedented, and showed us the dangerous new normal of drought, climate change and California mega-fires," said Mayor Mikke Pierson. "I am proud of the progress we have made in developing strategies to be even more prepared for disasters, including this siren system, which could be a powerful step toward community-wide preparedness."