UPPER LAKE, Calif. — The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake today announced the Tribe has been awarded a $2.24 million grant from FEMA under its Next Generation Warning System program.

This major investment will fund a comprehensive and cutting-edge emergency alert system to protect both tribal members and the broader Northern Lake County during emergencies, especially wildfires.

“This state-of-the-art system represents a new era in emergency communication for our region, helping us build a robust, modern warning system capable of saving lives. This initiative is a vital step forward not only for our Tribe, but for the safety and resilience of the entire Upper Lake region,” said Habematolel Pomo Chairwoman Danielle Cirelli. 

With this grant funding, the tribe will be able to fund and support installation of three IPAWS-compatible giant-voice sirens at strategic locations in Northern Lake County.

The grant also will cover integration with NOAA Weather Radio enhancements to deliver real-time weather and emergency information and deployment of a satellite-based alert pathway for full system redundancy and reliability.

In addition, the grant will enable the implementation of the Everbridge 360 Public Safety Communications platform, which pushes alerts to mobile devices, email, radio, TV, social media and other communication channels — similar to AMBER alerts.

The tribe reported that it will leverage Everbridge’s platform, the same platform used by the U.S. Department of Defense, to bring some of the most advanced emergency alert capabilities ever deployed in Northern California.

The Habematolel Pomo worked closely with Everbridge representatives to ensure the system meets the highest standards in emergency preparedness.