Cellphone emergency alerts aren't foolproof. Could blaring sirens help during the next big fire?

Cellphones these days are for everything, and one of their most important functions has become emergency alert systems.

Cellphone alerts are far from foolproof, though, as we experienced during January’s devastating fires. In west Altadena, warnings came too late or not at all. Cell service went out in many cases. Not everyone has access to a smartphone or is signed up for alerts.

And if a disaster hits in the middle of the night, cellphones are likely to be off or silenced.

After January’s fires, many survivors I spoke with asked: Why don’t we use tornado sirens like communities in the Midwest to warn of fires?

The answer, as usual, is complicated. Like any alert system, public education — and trust — is key. And sirens can’t replace cellphone alert systems, which are more targeted an