LAX TO PILOT EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM VIA INNOVATION FUNDING

09/22/2021 09:30 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 22, 2021
 
CONTACT:
LAX Public Relations
(424) 646-5260
LAX TO PILOT EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM VIA INNOVATION FUNDING
The Earthquake Early Warning System will relay emergency messages quickly to employees and guests through a variety of channels, including the airport's Emergency Visual Paging System.
 

(Los Angeles, CA) As part of National Preparedness Month, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) announced today that it will pilot a new earthquake early warning system designed to provide airport employees and guests extra seconds of warning and automatically implement safety precautions prior to an expected earthquake.

 

The early warning system will be tested at one of LAX’s terminals using $150,000 from the city’s Innovation and Performance Commission. The funding was approved by Los Angeles City Council, and was signed last week by Mayor Garcetti.

 

"We know it's not a question of if, but rather when, the next earthquake will hit, and the ability to offer even a few precious seconds of warning can make a difference in helping to save lives and property,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). “We thank the City Council and Mayor Garcetti for helping us to pilot this new technology, which is another step in making LAX the most prepared and resilient airport in the world.”

 

The early warning system, which will be online in 2022, will monitor for earthquake activity through the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert, which is linked to seismic sensors. It will then issue automated alerts depending upon the anticipated severity of the earthquake as determined by computer algorithms. At LAX, the system will automatically trigger emergency notifications to our terminals to alert passengers prior to an anticipated earthquake. The pilot project also will investigate the possibility of automatically shutting down the airport’s fuel hydrant system to help prevent jet fuel from flowing during an anticipated earthquake.

 

The project will be led by LAWA’s Emergency Management Division in partnership with the Information Management and Technology Division. The funding comes from a $1 million Innovation Fund, which is designed to provide one-time funds to City of Los Angeles departments to test new ideas that can make the city work better.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX, the third-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States in 2019, is in the midst of a $14.3-billion capital improvement program that will touch on all nine passenger terminals and build new facilities, including an Automated People Mover (APM) train, Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility and the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.

 

In 2019, LAX served nearly 88.1 million passengers and offered an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 113 destinations in the U.S. and 1,200 weekly nonstop flights to 91 markets in 46 countries on 72 commercial airlines.

 

LAX generates 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion; $966 million in state and local taxes; and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

 

LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund. 

 

LAWA is leading the aviation industry in sustainability practices, with initiatives related to water management, energy (electricity) management, air quality, recycling and natural resources management. In 2019, LAX received Level III ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation from Airport Councils International-Europe.

 

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.

 

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