Policy Text
Policy
317Buena Park Police Department
Buena Park PD Policy Manual
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/03/27, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Buena Park Police DepartmentPublic Alerts - 1Public Alerts
317.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for alerting the public to important information
and soliciting public aid when appropriate.
317.2 ACCREDITATION STANDARDS
This policy pertains to the following CALEA Standards: 41.2.4, 41.2.5, 41.2.6, 46.1.10
317.3 POLICY
Public alerts may be accomplished using the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless
Emergency Alerts (WEA), AlertOC, local radio, television, and press organizations, and other
groups to notify the public of incidents, or to enlist the aid of the public when the exchange of
information may enhance the safety of the community. Various types of alerts may be available
based upon each situation and each alert system's capabilities.
317.4 RESPONSIBILITIES
317.4.1 MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES
Members of the Buena Park Police Department should notify their supervisor or Watch
Commander as soon as practicable upon learning of a situation where public notification, a
warning, or enlisting the help of the media and public could assist in locating a missing person,
apprehending a dangerous person, preparing for or responding to an emergency or disaster, and/
or gathering and disseminating information.
317.4.2 SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
A supervisor apprised of the need for a public alert is responsible to make the appropriate
notifications based upon the circumstances of each situation. The supervisor shall promptly notify
the Chief of Police, the appropriate Division Commander and the Public Information Officer when
any public alert is generated.
The supervisor in charge of the investigation to which the alert relates is responsible for the
following:
(a)Updating alerts
(b)Canceling alerts
(c)Ensuring all appropriate reports are completed
(d)Preparing an after-action evaluation of the investigation to be forwarded to the Division
Commander
If the alert relates to an imminent or ongoing emergency or disaster that is not connected to an
investigation, the supervisor will immediately notify the Watch Commander of the situation.
Buena Park Police Department
Buena Park PD Policy Manual
Public Alerts
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/03/27, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Buena Park Police DepartmentPublic Alerts - 2If the Buena Park Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated, the Watch
Commander will ensure the EOC Operations Section Chief or EOC Director is informed of the
situation. EOC staff will create and monitor the appropriate alert.
If the EOC is not activated, the Watch Commander is responsible for the following:
(a)Updating alerts
(b)Canceling alerts
(c)Ensuring all appropriate reports are completed
(d)Preparing an after-action evaluation of the alert to be forwarded to the division
commander
317.5 ALERTOC EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
The City of Buena Park uses AlertOC, Orange County's regional public mass notification system,
to disseminate early-warning and time-sensitive information to businesses, residents, and City
employees during an imminent or active emergency event. The system is available 24/7 and
has been pre-loaded with Orange County landline phone numbers, including businesses and
unlisted numbers, from the telecom providers' E911 databases. A number of Buena Park residents
have also entered their wireless and email information into the system to receive alerts on their
cellphones. AlertOC contains contact information for less than a quarter of Buena Park's residents.
AlertOC is used to disseminate critical emergency-related information to individuals within a short
timeframe. AlertOC may be used for disaster-related mass messaging during the preparation for,
response to, and recovery from that disaster.
See BPPD SOP § 320, AlertOC, for full details on the use of AlertOC.
317.5.1 AUTHORIZED ALERTOC MESSAGE TYPES
The use of AlertOC is authorized for the following incidents:
(a)Status check, recall, or emergency activation of City employees, including BPPD
special teams
(b)Imminent or perceived threat to life or property
(c)Disaster notifications
(d)Evacuation notices
(e)Public health emergencies (including hazardous materials incidents)
(f)Public safety emergencies
(g)Any notification to provide emergency information to a defined area or community
317.6 WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS SYSTEM (WEA)
WEA (formerly the Commercial Mobile Alert System) allows emergency alerts to be pushed to
mobile devices in a geographic area through direct addressing of cell towers. These alerts have
limited character space and are sent to all devices served by the designated towers. WEAs
Buena Park Police Department
Buena Park PD Policy Manual
Public Alerts
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/03/27, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Buena Park Police DepartmentPublic Alerts - 3have a unique ringtone and vibration, and alerts "pop up" on a cellphone. They can be used for
imminent threats, AMBER alerts, and Presidential alerts. Not all wireless providers have agreed
to participate in WEA, and not all of those have implemented it correctly, so not all persons in the
alert area may actually receive alerts.
Because AlertOC covers less than a quarter of Buena Park's residents, WEA should be considered
as a supplement if an alert concerns a time-sensitive, potentially life-threatening situation.
317.6.1 CRITERIA FOR W