The delay in implementing multilingual emergency alerts in Los Angeles is more than just bureaucratic limbo—it’s a matter of life and death for countless non-English speakers seeking clarity and safety during disasters.
At a Glance
- California Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán called on the FCC to modernize the emergency alert system.
- The delay in multilingual alerts follows fatal fires affecting limited English proficiency communities.
- 68 million Americans speak a language other than English, crucial for emergency alerts.
- The FCC’s plan to implement multilingual alerts approved but frozen due to a delay under Trump’s administration.
The State of Emergency Alerts
California is facing an uphill battle in ensuring all its citizens, regardless of the language they speak, have access to potentially life-saving emergency alerts. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán has made it her mission to push the FCC towards modernizing the federal emergency alert system, which still predominantly caters to English speakers. This call for action comes amid tragedies unfolding from natural disasters in Los Angeles, where many residents have limited English proficiency.
While the FCC approved rules to incorporate more than a dozen languages into the alert system, actual implementation has come to a grinding halt. The regulatory freeze established during the Trump administration’s tenure continues to prevent new rules from being published. Barragán criticizes this delay, labeling it a dangerous oversight that risks the safety of communities needing immediate emergency information.
Communities at Risk
The importance of multilingual alerts cannot be overstated. During a crisis, time wasted trying to break through language barriers can cost lives. During recent fires in Los Angeles, predominantly affecting Asian communities, existing language barriers severely hindered access to vital information. A UCLA study reiterated this, showing the negative impact on communities with limited English proficiency, such as those speaking Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
“This is about saving lives. You’ve got about 68 million Americans that use a language other than English and everybody should have the ability to understand these emergency alerts. We shouldn’t be looking at any politicization of alerts — certainly not because someone’s an immigrant or they don’t know English.” – Barragán.
Frustration understandably mounts as Manjusha Kulkarni from the AAPI Equity Alliance slammed the FCC for failing its duty. The inadequacies in the alert system become glaring when we consider that half a million Asian Americans in L.A. County alone would benefit from multilingual emergency alerts. During the January fires, where only English and Spanish alerts were issued, these inefficiencies left many in the dark.
The Urgent Demand for Change
The foot-dragging over multilingual alerts is inexcusable when public safety is on the line. The stakes are even higher now considering the pervasive language diversity of Los Angeles. Lawmakers and community advocates are calling on the FCC and other responsible entities to prioritize inclusivity in crisis communication. As Barragán keenly remarked, waiting for political green lights is an unacceptable risk when lives hang in the balance.
“The language you speak shouldn’t keep you from receiving the information you or your family need to stay safe.” – then-FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.
As we continue to face natural calamities, neglecting the need for comprehensible emergency alerts becomes neither a media-enhanced outrage nor an optional consideration—it becomes a universal call for action.
