Governor’s Office of Emergency Services: California Alert.

Senators Pérez and Padilla propose establishing "California Alert," a statewide emergency alert system that would complement existing local warning systems while integrating federal emergency communication protocols. The system would operate through the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and incorporate the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Wireless Emergency Alerts to deliver authenticated emergency information via cell towers to mobile devices within affected areas.

The legislation maintains cities' and counties' primary authority for issuing emergency alerts while positioning California Alert as a backup mechanism. Cal OES would contract with private vendors to enable alert delivery to registered phone numbers independent of location tracking. The office would also develop standards for coordinating alerts across jurisdictional boundaries within the state.

Under the proposed framework, California Alert would augment the current emergency notification infrastructure established through the California Emergency Services Act. The system would leverage both the federal Integrated Public Alert & Warning System for location-based alerts and private vendor capabilities for reaching registered users statewide. Local governments could request Cal OES assistance in deploying alerts through this supplemental channel while retaining control over their emergency communications.