Tsunami early warning system in Chile to protect coastal areas

• Sector: Emergency management technology / Tsunamis
• Location: Arica, Tarapacá, O’Higgins, Maule and Bío-Bío (Chile)
• Date: November 2018
• Client: National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior (ONEMI)

Chile has taken a decisive step in emergency management with an advanced tsunami early warning system developed by Dominion and Lafcarr under the direction of the National Emergency Office of the Ministry of the Interior (ONEMI).

An end-to-end system to mitigate risk

Already operational in Chile's coastal regions, the system can alert the public immediately to a possible tsunami. Using high-power electronic sirens, surveillance cameras and weather stations, it delivers clear instructions to evacuate quickly and safely.

Remote management and redundant communication

Designed with three independent communication channels, the system guarantees alert delivery even in adverse conditions. It can be activated from ONEMI's regional offices or from headquarters in Santiago, and includes portable cases with satellite links to ensure continuity of operation at all times.

Infrastructure built to withstand emergencies

Each siren is mounted on an 11 m free-standing pole, with solar panels at 8 m to ensure energy autonomy. The whole assembly complies with current Chilean technical regulations and is sized to withstand extreme environmental conditions.

Goal: nationwide coverage

Under a public-private partnership, the project aims to deploy around 850 sirens across all of Chile's at-risk coastal areas, strengthening response capacity and improving safety for millions of people.