The City of Beverly Hills said its emergency sirens were accidentally activated Thursday morning, October 8, prompting concerned messages in a neighborhood WhatsApp chat before residents circulated the City's assurance that there was no current emergency.
In a notice posted to its official social media account, the City said the activation was accidental and apologized for the inconvenience.
Screenshots of the neighborhood chat provided to the Beverly Hills Standard show residents asking why the sirens were sounding and why they had received no advance notice. Names and contact information are being withheld.
"Would be good to know in advance. Wow" read one message. Another asked, "Why weren’t we informed?!" A later message asked, "Why is the city alarm going off?"
An early message in the chat described the sirens as a test. The City's subsequent public notice, however, described an accidental activation. Its notice did not explain what caused the sirens to sound.
Residents shared the City's statement in the chat as questions continued. The official message said there was no current emergency in Beverly Hills.
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