The Community Warning System maintained its perfect record this evening for not working as intended. At 6:39 PM today, there was a 4.1 earthquake that was, according to the media, centered. somewhere near Piedmont. Within a minute, sirens from the Community Warning System in Richmond were activated, indicating a toxic release and an implicit “shelter in place.”

I monitored several Bay Area media for news. Both Channel 2 and Channel 4 reported an emergency related to the ChevronTexaco refinery in Richmond. Both advised residents to “shelter in place,” but even an hour later reported that they were unable to get any details from the Refinery. I monitored KFRC Channel 25 and found a Planning Commission meeting in session with no information about why the sirens had been sounded.

I went to the City of Richmond website looking for information about the Community Warning System and found that the previous web page at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/~oes/cws.htm has been removed or disabled.

Eventually I paged Dean O’Hair, the Refinery’s public information person, and he called me back from his cell phone in Martinez. It was the first he had heard about either the earthquake or the activation of the Community Warning System. While I was waiting for Dean to call me back, I called the Chevron Fire Department about 7:30, and they told me that there was no problem and that they were about to issue the “all clear.” I advised them that they should contact the media with that information because the media was continuing to report that they were unable to get any information from Chevron. He said, “well, you know, that’s the media.”

While trying to find out more about how the Community Warning System works, I found the website http://www.cococaer.org/prepare.html#how, which led me to http://edis.oes.ca.gov/bulletins/index.html. I found a list of warnings of thunderstorms and flash floods in southern California intermingled with a message about the earthquake and three messages about the Chevron refinery. The earliest message read;

e0845­a2bcb00000

f n FLASH-ccc_cws-COMMUNITY_     09/04 121

[1]COMMUNITY WARNING SYSTEM MESSAGE

From: Contra Costa County Health Services

ABZCZC-CIV-CEM-706013+0045-247143-

This is a message from Contra Costa Health Services. There is an emergency at Chevron Refinery. Residents in Richmond, North Richmond and San Pablo are advised to shelter in place. Go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off all heaters, air conditioners and fans. If not using the fireplace, close fireplace dampers and vents and cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damp towels. Media news networks will continue to carry updated emergency information. Stay off the telephone unless you have a life threatening emergency. (CHVADM)ABNNNN

For more information contact: Contra Costa Health Services Tel: (925) 250-7905

The last message read:

e0849­b2bcb00000

u n Urgent-ccc_cws-COMMUNITY     09/04 71

[1]COMMUNITY WARNING SYSTEM MESSAGE

From: Contra Costa County Health Services

ABZCZC-CIV-CEM-706013+0015-247230-

Contra Costa Health Services has ended the shelter-in-place advisory for the incident at Chevron Refinery in Richmond. People in this area should open up their windows and doors to air out their building and then go about their normal activities. (COMM1 )ABNNNN

For more information contact: Contra Costa Health Services Tel: (925) 250-7905

I then called (925) 250-7905 and got Randy Sawyer, of the Contra Costa County Health Department, Hazardous Materials /Occupational Health Programs, Cal/Arp (California Accidental Release Prevention). At 7:17 PM, He was the first person I had talked to who seemed to know anything and was willing to share it. He told me that there had been a small fire at Chevron and that, when the earthquake occurred, Chevron thought it was an explosion. They were in contact with Contra Costa County Health Department and decided to request activation of the sirens. Apparently, the timing of the fire at the Refinery and the earthquake were entirely coincidental.

Once again, the Community Alert System has failed, and tens of thousands of people in Richmond were inconvenienced for an hour or two by a false alarm that left them confined and isolated in their homes wondering what in the heck was going on.

I should note that my proposed amendment to the Richmond Municipal Code making causing an event that results in activating the sirens a public nuisance has been placed on the Richmond City Council Public Safety and Public Services Committee Agenda for September. See http://www.tombutt.com/forum/030812b.htm for details.