Sig Alert
Encyclopedia
A Sig Alert is defined by the California Highway Patrol
(CHP) as "any unplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more." Sig Alerts are issued by the CHP and are posted on their website, broadcast on radio and television stations throughout California
, and signalled to motorists via electronic message signs
on the freeways. The term was added in 1993 to the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
. (In practice, there is no standard spelling; the CHP Web site uses "SIG Alert," "SigAlert," and "Sigalert," all on the same page.)
(LAPD). By the early 1950s, the rapidly growing number of automobile
s in Los Angeles
had greatly increased the frequency and severity of traffic accidents and jams. Radio stations reported traffic conditions, but the LAPD refused to call radio stations with this information, so each station would call the LAPD, a process that tied up telephone
lines and forced officers to repeat the same information again and again.
In 1955, Loyd C. "Sig" Sigmon
began developing a solution. Sigmon was Executive Vice President of Golden West Broadcasters (a company owned by singing cowboy Gene Autry
). Sigmon had worked for Golden West's station KMPC
710 in 1941, but found himself in the United States Army
Signal Corps during World War II
, assigned to General Dwight D. Eisenhower
's staff, in charge of non-combat radio communications in the European theater. Now, he proposed to apply his knowledge of complex radio networks to the situation in Los Angeles.
Sigmon developed a specialized radio receiver and reel-to-reel tape recorder
. When the receiver picked up a particular tone, it would record the subsequent bulletin. The device cost about $600. The LAPD's chief, William H. Parker, was interested, though skeptical, warning the inventor, "We're going to name this damn thing Sigalert." More practically, he refused to use it unless the receivers were made available to all Los Angeles radio stations — it could not be a KMPC monopoly.
Initially, half a dozen stations installed Sigmon receivers that had "Sigalert" stamped on their side. When a message had been received and recorded from the LAPD, a red light, sometimes accompanied by a buzzer, would alert the radio stations' engineers. Depending on the nature of the problem, the engineer could air the police broadcast immediately, interrupting regular programming if necessary.
near Los Angeles' Union Station
and requested any available doctors and nurses to respond to the scene. Too many doctors, nurses, and sightseers drove there, making the situation worse. (The first SigAlert was on Labor Day
weekend in 1955, and many stories on the SigAlert conflate these two events.)
At first, the LAPD issued about one alert a day, but soon other agencies were calling in messages they wanted broadcast, including rabid dog reports, gas leaks, and even a ship collision in Los Angeles Harbor. A pharmacist who had made a potentially fatal error in filling a prescription took advantage of the system to warn the customer (who, fortunately, heard the SigAlert in time). It was also used to warn about the impending Baldwin Hills Dam collapse in 1963.
and limited to traffic situations only. Messages are still broadcast, but most radio stations now read the information from the CHP's Web service rather than rebroadcasting the police dispatchers' voices. CalTrans latched on to the term "SigAlert", and it has now come to be commonly defined as any traffic incident that will tie up two or more lanes of a freeway for two or more hours.
not all stations choose to use this term. For example, in Los Angeles, radio station KABC
uses the term "KABC Traffic Alert", while radio stations KNX
, KFI-AM, KRLA
, and KCRW
still use the original term.
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
(CHP) as "any unplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more." Sig Alerts are issued by the CHP and are posted on their website, broadcast on radio and television stations throughout California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and signalled to motorists via electronic message signs
Variable message sign
A variable- message sign, often abbreviated VMS, CMS, or DMS, and in the UK known as a matrix sign,...
on the freeways. The term was added in 1993 to the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
. (In practice, there is no standard spelling; the CHP Web site uses "SIG Alert," "SigAlert," and "Sigalert," all on the same page.)
The origin of the Sigmon traffic alerts
SigAlerts originated in 1955 with the Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
(LAPD). By the early 1950s, the rapidly growing number of automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
had greatly increased the frequency and severity of traffic accidents and jams. Radio stations reported traffic conditions, but the LAPD refused to call radio stations with this information, so each station would call the LAPD, a process that tied up telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
lines and forced officers to repeat the same information again and again.
In 1955, Loyd C. "Sig" Sigmon
Loyd Sigmon
Loyd C. Sigmon was born in Stigler, Oklahoma to a cattle-ranching family. He soon became interested in radio, earning his amateur radio license at age 14. His broadcasting career began in 1932 at the Boston Short Wave and Television Laboratories...
began developing a solution. Sigmon was Executive Vice President of Golden West Broadcasters (a company owned by singing cowboy Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
). Sigmon had worked for Golden West's station KMPC
KMPC
KMPC is a radio station based in Los Angeles, California and is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean-language programming...
710 in 1941, but found himself in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Signal Corps during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, assigned to General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
's staff, in charge of non-combat radio communications in the European theater. Now, he proposed to apply his knowledge of complex radio networks to the situation in Los Angeles.
Sigmon developed a specialized radio receiver and reel-to-reel tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
. When the receiver picked up a particular tone, it would record the subsequent bulletin. The device cost about $600. The LAPD's chief, William H. Parker, was interested, though skeptical, warning the inventor, "We're going to name this damn thing Sigalert." More practically, he refused to use it unless the receivers were made available to all Los Angeles radio stations — it could not be a KMPC monopoly.
Initially, half a dozen stations installed Sigmon receivers that had "Sigalert" stamped on their side. When a message had been received and recorded from the LAPD, a red light, sometimes accompanied by a buzzer, would alert the radio stations' engineers. Depending on the nature of the problem, the engineer could air the police broadcast immediately, interrupting regular programming if necessary.
The early use of the Sigalert
One of the first major "Sigmon traffic alerts" was broadcast on January 22, 1956, causing a traffic jam. The alert described the derailment of a passenger trainRedondo Junction train wreck
The Redondo Junction train wreck occurred at 17:42 on the evening of January 22, 1956, on the Santa Fe Railroad in Los Angeles. The accident happened at Redondo Junction, just southwest of Boyle Heights near Washington Boulevard and the Los Angeles River; it killed 30 people and injured 117 more...
near Los Angeles' Union Station
Union Station (Los Angeles)
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
and requested any available doctors and nurses to respond to the scene. Too many doctors, nurses, and sightseers drove there, making the situation worse. (The first SigAlert was on Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend in 1955, and many stories on the SigAlert conflate these two events.)
At first, the LAPD issued about one alert a day, but soon other agencies were calling in messages they wanted broadcast, including rabid dog reports, gas leaks, and even a ship collision in Los Angeles Harbor. A pharmacist who had made a potentially fatal error in filling a prescription took advantage of the system to warn the customer (who, fortunately, heard the SigAlert in time). It was also used to warn about the impending Baldwin Hills Dam collapse in 1963.
The CHP era and current usage
In 1969, when the CHP assumed responsibility for freeway traffic from the LAPD, they took control of the SigAlert system as well. It is now used throughout CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and limited to traffic situations only. Messages are still broadcast, but most radio stations now read the information from the CHP's Web service rather than rebroadcasting the police dispatchers' voices. CalTrans latched on to the term "SigAlert", and it has now come to be commonly defined as any traffic incident that will tie up two or more lanes of a freeway for two or more hours.
not all stations choose to use this term. For example, in Los Angeles, radio station KABC
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
uses the term "KABC Traffic Alert", while radio stations KNX
KNX (AM)
KNX is an all-news radio station in Los Angeles, California, USA. The station operates on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio. KNX broadcasts from facilities shared with sister stations KFWB, KCBS-FM, KTWV, and KAMP on Los Angeles' Miracle Mile...
, KFI-AM, KRLA
KRLA
KRLA is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, California, USA, it serves the Southern California area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications.- KIEV :...
, and KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
still use the original term.
External links
- Current SigAlerts from the California Highway PatrolCalifornia Highway PatrolThe California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
- Snopes Urban Legends' Sigalert article
- SigAlert Definition from the California DOT
- SigAlert!