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Maui fires & cell phone service failed
- Thread starter alok
- Start date
A close friend of mine, a former station owner, would have potential acquisitions pitched to him from time to time. A lot of these were 80-90 rimshots. On occasion, he would go to the community that the prospective station purported to serve and perform what he called the "Wal-Mart test". He would get a cheap Walkman FM receiver, plug headphones into it, and take it into the local Wal-Mart, and go to the center of the store. If he couldn't hear the station in stereo there, he would reject the pitch without any further questions.
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/14/1193...-difference-it-could-have-made-against-maui-f
One survivor described his ordeal of jumping into the water at the harbour. Chaos was inevitable when the fire moved at incredible speeds. Even the experts are divided about the siren issue...
One survivor described his ordeal of jumping into the water at the harbour. Chaos was inevitable when the fire moved at incredible speeds. Even the experts are divided about the siren issue...
The sirens are meant for tsunamis, not fire. Why would you want people going to hire ground and in more danger.
I assume you mean higher ground. According to the story, the sirens are a warning system not just for Tsunamis. Some of the residents are the ones who are questioning why they weren't used. I've said before it wouldn't have made any difference, but some residents think a warning was appropriate. Some drove right into the path of the fire. Keep in mind these people were literally fleeing flames to try to survive...
Here are the details on the Maui Sirens. Outdoor Warning Siren Testing and Reporting
- The all-hazard siren system can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more.
But, historically, and in that area, the sirens have only been used for Tsunamis. There was a real risk that sounding them would make people in the low coastal area would seek higher ground and drive or flee into the fires.
Could people really be that stupid?
What I would expect is that the residents/tourists/whatever will go outside when they hear the sirens to see what's up, and instead of what they expected to be a tsunami, they find a very obvious wall of smoke and flames bearing down on them, which they then would instinctively run away from, right? Or is that too logical??
c
Yes!
So you run out of your home, discover buildings, palm trees, cars, everything around you is on fire. High winds are blowing the fires in different directions. Smoke is so thick and the air is so hot, you can't keep your eyes open, let alone identify the evacuation routes. Resident's think: Well, those are tsunami sirens signaling I should jump in my car and head for higher ground. But both ends of your street are blocked with burning vehicles. You grab your family and jump in your car. Where should I go? Burning cars are blocking the evacuation routes. You stop behind cars blocking the road, but more cars come up behind you discovering the same thing. Now you can't turn around, and the fire moves closer. The cars in front of you burst into flames. Some people jump out of their cars trying to run away on foot, but there is nowhere to run. Looking out your windshield, all you see is flames and smoke. At that point, you know going that direction was the last mistake you'll ever make.
The official description of the sirens and what residents are accustomed to them being and their expectation if they sound outside of a known test are not necessarily the same.
The victims of the disaster are completely expected to be directing understandable anger at anyone and everyone after this trauma. Those of us removed from it, while empathetic and saddened at the destruction and incalculable loss, should be more objective.
The sirens were not going to make a difference. EAS was not going to make a difference. That fire moved with ferocious speed in town and the roads out were choked and became impassable for many. Fire spreading a mile in a minute is going to go faster than reliable information can be disseminated let alone acted on.
The victims of the disaster are completely expected to be directing understandable anger at anyone and everyone after this trauma. Those of us removed from it, while empathetic and saddened at the destruction and incalculable loss, should be more objective.
The sirens were not going to make a difference. EAS was not going to make a difference. That fire moved with ferocious speed in town and the roads out were choked and became impassable for many. Fire spreading a mile in a minute is going to go faster than reliable information can be disseminated let alone acted on.
That is really common in the first moments during the escalation of a wildfire where roads get jammed because everybody had to leave and CalFire had to respond on the rescue efforts at that time.
first quote -
the whole idea of this discussion, you can hear radio stations all over the word via the Internet, yes when your cell phone is working - cell phones have that ability, but not if the cell service & Internet too is down in the area of an emergency . . . in most cases radio stations will be there.
At least with EAS info.
If not the station close to the emergency, then the one next to it.
second quote -
I guess you never been in an emergency where you need info, phones are down, cells are down, Internet is down . . . but gee wiz the radio station playing 70's & 80's HITS is up and running, unfortunetly still playing 70's & 80's HITS as the emergency wrecks havoc with the area . . . the problem too today radio is not committed anymore (my opinion), they could use EAS (but again I guess it wasn't activated on Maui)
And yes a person would pull an antenna out of a cell phone, if they knew they'd have an additional choice for emergency info.
True while you're fleeing you aren't going to do it but once you get to a safe area you would want info and again cell phones didn't do it on Maui in the area of the fires, cell service was down . . . but radio just outside that area could have if EAS was activated.
I'll say it again, if phone makers would put a radio in a phone, the pros that design phones can make it work and people knew about, it would be a fun addition and maybe life saving in some circumstances.
Or maybe you still need that "little 6 transistor radio" along with that cell phone, if they can't fit the radio circuits in the phone then people can TAPE IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THEIR LITTLE PHONE, yea that's it - WITH GAFFERS TAPE !!!
Naturally away from the phones camera workings, flashlight, etc.
The cell phone - the do all device, except when its phone circuits are down in a bad emergency!
Al
This HAS to be a joke….
Based on their other nonsensical claims, I kind of doubt it.
But this wasn't in California. It was on an island with only two two-lane main roads in and out of town.
That sounds a bit like Paradise, CA, too.
I agree. The situations aren't 100% comparable, but both places are relatively remote with limited access, so there are some similarities in how things played out.
c
The result may be similar, but the fire on Maui moved much faster. Fires in Lahaina were made worse by exploding and burning propane tanks used for cooking and restaurants. Paradise didn't have tsunami sirens either.
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