House members yesterday during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing said a siren alert system could have saved more lives during the Sept. 29 tsunami, despite local Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS) director saying tsunami experts point out that for a ‘locally generated’ tsunami, sirens are not the primary means of warning.

However, during the hearing, when Rep. Paopaoailua J. Fiaui asked the ASDHS director Mike Sala if a siren in place prior to the time of the tsunami would have saved more lives, he said “probably.”

(Paopaoailua further said he believes a siren system would have saved more lives, adding there were too many tsunami casualties.)

But Sala, in a report and written statement submitted to the committee, said tsunami experts stated that for a locally generated tsunami, sirens are not the primary means of awareness—“natural warnings of earthquake and tide receding are our first warnings.”

He said, “In fact, from the data we have from an assessment, the “official word” as relayed from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Honolulu occurred as the first signs of the tsunami were already occurring in American Samoa.”

While 34 lives were claimed by the tsunami, “many lives were spared because of the ongoing efforts to educate and train people of the inherent dangers of living in an island community surrounded by water,” Sala said.

The siren system was discussed during yesterday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing called by chairman Rep. Maugaoali’i S. Anoai, to discuss the events of Sept. 29 as well as plans for the future to prevent more loss of life.

The experts’ opinion was rejected by Rep. Va’amua Henry Sesepasara, who told Sala he “disputes” the assertion that sirens are not the primary means of awareness.”

“Sirens should be primary,” Va’amua said and acknowledged there has been a lot of good public education and awareness programs carried out by the local government, but “a lot of people do not have that information” or didn’t participate in those awareness programs.

“There would have been a lot of lives saved that day if there was a siren [warning system],” Va’amua told Sala and pointed out for example, the Korean couple, who employed a Samoan woman, were operating a restaurant in Pago Pago, but the trio didn’t know about the information from these awareness programs, where a bell is rung to signal a disaster.

Va’amua, who was part of the search and rescue team, said the three were victims from Pago Pago—and an islandwide siren system could have saved these lives. He also said that the Lauli’i woman and her daughter inside their vehicle didn’t feel the earthquake as they continued to drive into Pago Pago, where they were killed by the tsunami while still in their car.

According to the Pago Pago lawmaker, a siren system could also have saved the lives of three elderly women killed at the TAOA Center in Pago Pago because they weren’t aware of the tsunami heading to shore.

So, “I dispute the statement that a siren is not primary”, he said. “I strongly recommend for you to work quickly and get the siren system working.”

Va’amua said Sala’s report states that since the Sept. 29 disaster, ASDHS has recorded approximately 45 earthquakes in the surrounding region.

The Pago faipule said this means earthquakes are still active in the South Pacific and therefore it’s urgent the siren system is in place as soon as possible.

As to the status of a siren warning system, Sala said the federal government has approved some $2 million in funding and $1.7 million is allocated for the siren system, for which  American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority (ASTCA) is the lead agency.

ASTCA official James Taylor told the committee that a four-month study, ending in December, was carried out in 2006 and 45 sites were identified for the installation of sirens; however, federal homeland security funds were frozen in 2007, preventing the project from moving forward.

He said ASTCA was responsible for the study, in which a Seattle company was contracted for the project; and ASTCA paid for the study but was to be reimbursed by the Territorial Office of Homeland Security (now part of ASDHS).

With funds frozen in 2007, ASTCA didn’t get reimbursed for the study—which cost about $80,000—until early last month, said Taylor. He added that 45 sites on Tutuila, Aunu’u and the Manu’a Islands were identified at the time.

Sala said these are the same sites for the current siren project, which is now being held up because the Procurement Office wants the project to go out for competitive bidding. ASDHS has asked to have the project sole sourced, saying the study is already in place and it’s still valid.

The ASHSD director said that he and ASTCA will be meeting today with the Procurement Office to resolve this issue that Taylor noted is a hurdle to overcome, and it will take up to six months to get the system in place.

Rep. Galumalemana B. Satele said Gov. Togiola Tulafono has the authority to waive the competitive bidding process and for Sala to do all possible to reach a positive conclusion to this, so the siren system can be installed immediately.

If Procurement Office still insists on putting the project out for bid, Sala said, they will look at other available avenues to address this matter because there is a specific time frame given by the federal government to use this money.

Several committee members urged Sala to do all possible to get the project done.

(While the use of the term ‘locally generated’ tsunami is being used to describe the Samoa tsunami, according to the FEMA Coastal Flood Hazard Focused Study Report on Tsunami Hazards, Feb. 2005, the characterization of tsunamis as farfield (or tele), nearfield, or regional is dependent on the target coastline at risk. In the case of the Samoa tsunami, it originated less than 200 miles off our coastline and is characterized as a “nearfield tsunami”.)

More from the hearing later this week.