Private company starting new earthquake warning system

A privately owned company is installing a new earthquake warning system in our local mountains, separate from the existing one. It’s supposed to eliminate false alarms and work faster than current systems.

While there’s been earthquake warning systems in place for more than 10 years here in the Coachella Valley, it’s never been fully developed. Crews broke ground Tuesday as they prepare the placement for the two sensors.

“Because of the system we have here, we can actually declare and earthquake based on a single station which means we’re able to send out the warning that much faster,” said Gilead Wurman, the chief seismologist for Seismic Warning Systems.

He said they chose this location as the first, because of the active fault lines.

“For the San Jacinto fault we’ve had many magnitude-5 earthquakes since 2000. Just a little ways over here maybe 10 miles away. So this is a very good place to make these types of measurements. It’s close, the seismic waves get here first, before it gets into the valley,” said Frank Vernon, a research seismologist at UCSD.

Crews worked Tuesday to place the two sensors and its tower. Initially, the first sensor will only transmit information for the company to analyze. But they hope by the second half of 2017 to be transmitting warnings to public entities like police and fire departments and public schools.

Blake Goetz, a retired Palm Springs fire chief said will be essential to first responders and the public.

“It’s really important because this is what we’ve been waiting for in the Coachella Valley for the last six years,” Goetz said.

Eventually they hope to grow their product so individuals will get warnings sent to their homes, but it could be a while before that happens. He said it’s an important new tool in their toolbox.

“We’re not going to stop earthquakes. We’re not stop the damage. But we can mitigate the damage by having warning to save lives and property,” Goetz said.

Once this station is complete they plan to put a station at the Borrego Springs fire station and at a gypsum mine. They hope to eventually have 30 other stations in the Coachella Valley and grow the program to cover the entire state.