The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, or HI-EMA, on Wednesday unveiled an interactive map showing the location of 418 alert and warning sirens across the state, as well as their operational status as of the most recent monthly test.
The sirens are tested on the first business day of each month. The data currently displayed on the map reflects the results of the test conducted Monday, Oct. 2.
Of the 418 sirens, 326 (78%) are fully operational, 29 (6.9%) require maintenance, 37 (8.9%) require maintenance with contracting support, and 26 (6.2%) are inoperable and beyond repair.
The map may be viewed on the HI-EMA website at ready.hawaii.gov by selecting “Siren Status Map” under the “Get Ready” tab.
The interactive map displays fully operational sirens in green. Sirens that require maintenance which HI-EMA can perform unassisted are shown in yellow. Sirens which need maintenance that must be performed with contracted assistance are shown in red. Sirens which are beyond repair are shown in black.
“Some of those blacked-out sirens are close to 60 years old and they need to be replaced,” James Barros, administrator of HI-EMA, said in a press release. “Others have been destroyed by lightning, vandalism or drunk drivers, and at least three burned in the Maui wildfires. This new tool will enable the public to check on the operational status of all the sirens in their communities.”
On the Big Island, some of the sirens shown in black were damaged or destroyed in the 2018 Kilauea eruption.
HI-EMA operates the All-Hazard Statewide Outdoor Warning Siren System as one of the tools it uses to alert the public in the event of an emergency. The system can be used in the event of any type of imminent hazard to alert the public to seek additional information.
That additional information may come through the Wireless Emergency Alert system, which sends alerts to mobile devices, or the Emergency Alert System, which is sent via televisions and radios.
“It’s a challenge to keep a complex system such as our siren network running in perfect condition, but this new tool will help to give the public transparency into the system,” Barros said.