Civ-Alert

Last updated

Civ-Alert was the civil defense warning system in the U.S. state of Hawaii from 1960 to 1977. Civ-Alert was established in the wake of the tsunami generated by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake on the Chilean coast, which devastated Hilo. Unlike CONELRAD, the warning system in use in the mainland United States, Civ-Alert consisted of the transmission of civil defense information and instructions from a studio at state Civil Defense headquarters in Diamond Head on existing radio station frequencies; this was important, as no one radio station could cover the entire Hawaiian islands. The Civ-Alert system was a major improvement. It led to the redesign of emergency warnings in the mainland U.S. as a similar system, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS). Civ-Alert was rebranded as EBS in May 1977.

History

The 1960 Valdivia earthquake, whose tsunami pummeled Hilo and led to the deaths of 65 people, [1] exposed serious deficiencies in the island-wide warning system for natural disasters. The islands' existing warning system had been created in 1946, after a tsunami killed 150, and was described by scientists after Valdivia as a "horse and buggy" system that failed to account for advances in tsunami forecasting. [2] [3] Civil Defense responded by conducting a massive overhaul of its warning systems. It earmarked money to install 71 new sirens across the state, as well as $20,000 to establish Civ-Alert, a statewide system to broadcast civil defense information over all Hawaii radio stations. [4] This system was conceived by Jock Fernhead at radio station KPOI. [5]

Civ-Alert was approved for use in November 1960 [6] and began full-time service on December 1, 1960. It was tested for the first time on January 3, 1961, and all Honolulu radio stations received the signal from Civil Defense in Diamond Head; they were equipped with warning lights to make them aware of impending Civ-Alert broadcasts. [7] Civil Defense leaders soon sought authorization to have Civ-Alert supplant CONELRAD, the system used nationwide. CONELRAD depended on stations alternating time at one of two frequencies, 640 or 1240 kHz, on reduced power. This was not sufficient for use in Hawaii because a station operating at reduced power in CONELRAD mode might not be able to reach all of the islands. [8] In July 1961, CONELRAD was formally discontinued in Hawaii. [9]

Civ-Alert suffered issues in warning of a potential tsunami on December 20, 1962. It took ten minutes for Civ-Alert to activate, muddling an already confused warning setup. [1] At one point, two Oahu radio stations were telling listeners it was safe to return to their homes while Civ-Alert continued the alert. [10] Among the plans for improving the civil defense system was adding audible buzzers, in addition to the warning lights already in use, to radio studios to notify stations of incoming announcements. [11] The system's performance was much improved in the wake of the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake in the Aleutian Islands; Civ-Alert went on the air three hours before the tidal wave was predicted to arrive on Oahu. The Honolulu Advertiser editorial board praised the broadcasting of director Roger Coryell, also a veteran newsman, and the network setup which also included DJ Hal Lewis as program director; a cartoon by Harry Lyons called the system "Hawaii's Paul Revere". [12] By 1966, Civ-Alert had been expanded to provide notification to TV stations and movie theaters, while audio messages were additionally relayed on Muzak background music systems for broadcast in stores. [13]

The success of Civ-Alert led to the scrapping of CONELRAD on the U.S. mainland. Federal officials investigated the Hawaii system and discontinued CONELRAD in 1963 in favor of the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS). The California state plan for the Emergency Alert System (EAS), successor to the EBS, credits Civ-Alert as "arguably the parent of the EBS and EAS". [14] Hawaii was linked to the mainland EBS system in 1967, with five EBS stations on the four major islands. [15] The statewide civil defense alert system continued to go by the Civ-Alert name until May 1977. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii (island)</span> Largest of the Hawaiian islands

Hawaii is the largest island in the United States, located in the eponymous state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2), it has 63% of the Hawaiian archipelago's combined landmass. However, it has only 13% of the archipelago's population. The island of Hawaiʻi is the third largest island in Polynesia, behind the north and south islands of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency Broadcast System</span> Former United States emergency warning system

The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), sometimes called the Emergency Action Notification System (EANS), was an emergency warning system used in the United States. It was the most commonly used, along with the Emergency Override system. It replaced the previous CONELRAD system and was used from 1963 to 1997, at which point it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilo, Hawaii</span> Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States

Hilo is the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii, and is a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement in the state of Hawaii and largest settlement in the state outside of Oahu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CONELRAD</span> Former method of emergency broadcasting in the United States

CONELRAD was a method of emergency broadcasting to the public of the United States in the event of enemy attack during the Cold War. It was intended to allow continuous broadcast of civil defense information to the public using radio stations, while rapidly switching the transmitter stations to make the broadcasts unsuitable for Soviet bombers that might attempt to home in on the signals.

KHNL is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of NBC and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KGMB. The two stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in downtown Honolulu; KHNL's transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii. KHNL is also rebroadcast on the island of Hawaiʻi, Maui, and Kauaʻi.

KITV is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Allen Media Group alongside multicultural independent station KIKU. The two stations share studios on South King Street in downtown Honolulu; KITV's main transmitter is located atop the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. Rebroadcasters on the islands of Maui and Hawaii extend the station's signal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Tsunami Warning Center</span> One of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA, located on Ford Island, Hawaii

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), located on Ford Island, Hawaii, is one of two tsunami warning centers in the United States, covering Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea. Other parts of the United States are covered by the National Tsunami Warning Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency population warning</span> Warning issued by authorities to the public en masse

An emergency population warning is a method where by local, regional, or national authorities can contact members of the public to warn them of an impending emergency. These warnings may be necessary for a number of reasons, including:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warning system</span>

Warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individual or group to inform of a future danger. Its purpose is to enable the deployer of the warning system to prepare for the danger and act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil defense in the United States</span>

United States civil defense refers to the use of civil defense in the history of the United States, which is the organized non-military effort to prepare Americans for military attack and similarly disastrous events. Late in the 20th century, the term and practice of civil defense fell into disuse. Emergency management and homeland security replaced them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WGU-20</span> Emergency government civil defense preparedness radio station

WGU-20 was an emergency government civil defense preparedness radio station in Chase, Maryland, United States, operated by the United States Defense Civil Preparedness Agency in the 1970s.

The Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) is a warning siren used in Australia to alert the public of danger. The siren is played over radio, television or public address systems in public places to warn of bushfire, flood, cyclone, tsunami, earthquake or terrorist attack.

KPRP is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, which serves the Honolulu metropolitan area. It is currently owned by SummitMedia, LLC, pending a donation to the Raleigh-Wake Chapter of the National Alumni Association of Shaw University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilo Bay</span>

Hilo Bay is a large bay located on the eastern coast of the island of Hawaiʻi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Emergency Message</span> National activation of the Emergency Alert System

A National Emergency Message, formerly known until 2022 as an Emergency Action Notification, is the national activation of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) used to alert the residents of the United States of a national or global emergency such as a nuclear war or any other mass casualty situation. This alert can only be activated by the president of the United States or a designated representative thereof, such as the vice president. The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) also carried the Emergency Action Notification. Except for the 2011 national test, which utilized the Emergency Action Notification alert type, no president has ever issued a National Emergency Message.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lena Machado</span> American singer

Lena Machado was a Native Hawaiian singer, composer, and ukulele player, known as "Hawaii's Songbird". She was among the first group of musical artists honored by the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 1995. Noted for her use of the Hawaiian vocal technique of "ha'i," which emphasizes the transition between a singer's lower and falsetto vocal ranges, and her use of "kaona" when writing song lyrics, she entertained primarily in Hawaii and the mainland United States. She sold leis on the Honolulu piers as a child, and aspired to become a singer like the women she saw greeting incoming passengers. KGU radio manager Marion A. Mulroney discovered her as she sang in a mango tree next door to his home. She performed regularly on KGU, where Royal Hawaiian Band conductor Mekia Kealakaʻi heard her and hired her as a featured soloist in 1925. Her association with the Royal Hawaiian Band would last five decades. During World War II, she had her own radio show on KGU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Hawaii false missile alert</span> False alarm sent over all communications media in Hawaii, United States

On the morning of January 13, 2018, an alert was accidentally issued via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert System over television, radio, and cellular networks in the U.S. state of Hawaii, instructing citizens to seek shelter due to an incoming ballistic missile. It concluded with "This is not a drill". The message was sent at 8:08 a.m. local time. The state had not authorized civil defense outdoor warning sirens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Air Raid Defense</span>

Women's Air Raid Defense (WARD) was a World War II civilian organization that worked with the military to provide air defense for Hawaii. It formed in December 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Women volunteered in order to allow men to be freed from air defense work to go onto combat roles. WARD was the only civilian organization employed by the military for the purpose to replace men in active duty. It was disbanded after the end of WWII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrtle K. Hilo</span> Hawaiian taxicab driver, radio personality, ukulele player and singer

Myrtle KeahiʻaihonuaHilo was a native Hawaiian taxicab driver, radio personality, ʻukulele player and singer. Her signature album The Singing Cab Driver was released in 1967 on Makaha Records. She was born in Hauʻula, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. In 1998 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Kaleikini</span> American singer, recording artist, entertainer (1937–2023)

Danny "Kaniela" Kaleikini was an American singer, musical artist, and entertainer. Best known for his long-term residency at the Kahala Hilton in Hawaii, where he performed for 28 years, Kaleikini is often called "The Ambassador of Aloha". During his career of more than 50 years in show business, he was the opening act for Paul Anka at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and performed alongside Sammy Davis Jr., Wayne Newton, Dolly Parton, Phyllis McGuire, and Don Ho. A baritone who sang Hawaiian songs and played the nose flute, Kaleikini gained international recognition for promoting Hawaiian music, language, and culture.

References

  1. 1 2 Bernard, Charles (December 22, 1962). "Thousands Flee In Wave Warning". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. United Press International. p. 10. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Isle Alert System Called Outmoded". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. June 12, 1960. p. 18. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Wave Alert System Outdated, Dr. Eaton Tells Legislators: Other Testimony Also Backs Story Of May 23 Flaws". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Hilo, Hawaii. Associated Press. June 11, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Edwards, Ed (May 21, 1961). "1960 Destruction Sparks Research Program At University That Offers Hope for Future". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. p. Sports 6. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Sherman, Eddie (December 2, 1960). "Eddie Sherman". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. p. 38. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Alert System Is Ready To Go, Officials Say". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Hilo, Hawaii. Associated Press. November 18, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "New Civ-Alert System Is Successful in Test". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. January 4, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Stone, Scotty (June 11, 1961). "State Defense Aides Back Alarm System". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. p. A-4. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "State to Replace Conelrad Attack Warning System". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. July 28, 1961. p. 29. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Tightening Of Alert System Promised". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Hilo, Hawaii. February 22, 1963. p. 4. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Nelson, Lyle (April 4, 1963). "Simplified Civil Defense Warning System Sought". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. p. 31. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Intelligent Alert". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. February 5, 1965. p. B2. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Bornstein, A. E.; Bosak, N. M.; Hoddy, L. J.; Miller, B. D.; Rosenthal, M. I.; Lamoureux, R. L. (November 30, 1966). "Warning Systems Research Support: Final Support" (PDF). System Development Corporation. p. 85.
  14. ↑ "State of California Emergency Alert System Plan" (PDF). California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. October 11, 2017. p. 27.
  15. ↑ Mitchell, Wallace (March 30, 1967). "Isles Linked to National Emergency Radio Line". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. p. B1. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Civ-Alert Gets a New Name". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. May 27, 1977. p. E-8. Retrieved January 29, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.