Genasys issues the following statement in response to Congressman Robert Garcia’s release titled “Sounding the Alarm: Lessons from the Kenneth Fire False Alerts:“
We (Genasys Inc.) were pleased to comply with Congressman Garcia’s inquiry into the Los Angeles Kenneth Fire emergency notification history. The event highlighted a breakdown in alert targeting that originated from within a complex environment of rapidly evolving conditions, overlapping systems, and high-stakes decision-making during an historic disaster.
Importantly, what has not been covered by this investigation, nor in any media reports are the dramatic improvements Genasys software enabled in quickly disseminating evacuation notifications to the public. During previous devastating wildfires, the elapsed time from first responders requesting evacuations to evacuation alerts being issued averaged 40 – 60 minutes. Using the Genasys Protect Platform, LA County reduced the average time to 6 minutes. This significant improvement likely saved hundreds of lives.
What we witnessed was more than just technology at work – it was the culmination of dedication, preparation, and coordination across multiple agencies. During the fires, emergency teams sent over 400 zone status changes to critical life-saving situations through Genasys Protect, all in record time.
As the Report mentioned,a local network-level disruption interfered with data transfer to the federal alerting backbone, IPAWS. The alert was correctly configured by the operator and properly localized across all other channels. The intermittent network issue prevented the targeted area from registering in one channel — resulting in a broader-than-intended alert. This wasn’t a software failure — it was a breakdown in connectivity and system redundancy in the middle of a crisis. Networks were strained with the unprecedented conditions around Los Angeles County,
Since the initial incident, we’ve taken the following actions — implementing new safeguards, strengthening cross-channel validation, and introducing fail-safes to ensure that geotargeting data is fully aligned before any alert is sent. These enhancements went live within 48 hours of the original occurrence.
Our technology remains the most widely deployed multi-channel alerting platform in California and continues to expand nationwide. We remain the trusted targeted communication partner to agencies across 39 states with Genasys Protect – and we are expanding rapidly. Our platform is stronger, smarter, and more resilient because of what we’ve learned — and we’re only accelerating from here.
