At approximately 5:52 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, phones across Los Angeles County began receiving a wireless emergency alert test that had been issued by the city of South Pasadena.
The message read:
“This is a test of the South Pasadena WEA system. There is no emergency.” The alert was meant only for an internal test of the city’s emergency-alert software, done by the city’s Public Safety staff.
The City of South Pasadena Issued an apology as part of a press release:
“We apologize for the mistake and any confusion it caused.”
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The city’s investigation will determine exactly how the internal test message was routed to the public network and whether procedures or software need updating.
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City officials may review and revise training, alert-software settings, and geotargeting safeguards.
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Residents may receive communication from South Pasadena clarifying what happened and steps being taken to prevent recurrence.
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While officials believe fallout is minimal in this case (because the message explicitly said “there is no emergency”), repeated mis-alerts can reduce responsiveness when real emergencies occur.
For South Pasadena Residents
If you received the message: rest assured it was a test, there was no actual emergency, and the city has acknowledged the mistake. Residents in South Pasadena and across L.A. County will likely see increased scrutiny of future alerts — and may be well-advised to:
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Keep their mobile device alert settings enabled (so they receive real warnings)
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Check the official city/county site if they receive an alert and are unsure whether it’s valid
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Understand that mis-alerts, while inconvenient, are part of the learning curve for large-scale emergency-notification systems.
South Pasadena Public Safety staff were conducting a routine test of the City’s emergency alert software. The message was intended to remain within the test system but was unintentionally transmitted to the public.
City staff are investigating the cause of the error. We apologize for the mistake and any confusion it caused.”
