Sacramento has a loud new way to say "get out now." Police are rolling out a two‑tone Hi‑Lo warning sound on patrol cars this week to alert neighborhoods to immediate evacuation orders during major emergencies. The department says the tone is intentionally different from the usual wail and yelp used in routine emergency responses and will be added to newly purchased patrol vehicles as they enter service. Officials describe the signal as a backup cue to evacuate when cell, radio or internet alerts are disrupted.
What the city announced
As reported by The Sacramento Bee, about a dozen patrol cars are already equipped with the Hi‑Lo tone, and the department plans to phase the feature in across the entire patrol fleet as older vehicles are retired. The department told the paper the sound will be used only when "all people within hearing range are intended recipients of an emergency warning" and said officers can pair the alarm with recorded evacuation messages. Residents can hear a demonstration on the department’s YouTube page so they can recognize the sound in advance and understand the recommended response.
State law and training behind the rollout
California cleared the way in 2020 with Senate Bill 909, which amended Vehicle Code §27002 to authorize a Hi‑Lo audible warning sound specifically for evacuation notifications. The California Legislature specifies in the bill text that a Hi‑Lo "is not a siren" and must not replace a traditional siren when a siren is required. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has issued training guidance explaining how agencies can pair the Hi‑Lo with pre‑recorded, multilingual evacuation messages and fold the tone into coordinated alerting plans. Detailed equipment and procedure information is laid out in Cal OES training materials.
How residents should respond
Sacramento police say that if you hear the Hi‑Lo, you should assume an immediate evacuation is being ordered and head for safety without delay. As The Sacramento Bee notes, the tone is meant to supplement, not replace, texts, radio alerts or door‑to‑door notifications, and the department is urging households to refresh their evacuation plans now. Officials say the department's demonstration video and planned outreach are designed to reduce confusion if the Hi‑Lo is used during a fast‑moving emergency.
Where it's already been used and why officials back it
Other California jurisdictions have already put Hi‑Lo systems to work, pairing them with bilingual voice messages and public education campaigns intended to prevent alarm fatigue. Local reporting on San Diego County’s rollout has highlighted a simple message from officials: "When you hear the Hi‑Lo, it is time to go." Coverage in Firehouse credits the approach with helping reach neighborhoods quickly during wildfires and other fast‑moving hazards. Sacramento’s announcement similarly pitches the Hi‑Lo equipment as one more layer of redundancy to reach residents when other alert systems fail or are disrupted.
