FILE: San Francisco’s outdoor public warning system sirens are not likely to reactivate, even amid reports of possible drone attacks on the West Coast.

An FBI warning of a potential drone attack by Iran on California has put a spotlight on San Francisco’s famous emergency sirens.

Familiar to residents and alarming to tourists, the piercing wail of sirens used to be a staple in the city during the weekly test on Tuesday at noon. Although this type of alarm — reminiscent of an air raid siren — may feel like a useful way to warn of a drone attack, they are expected to remain silent for the foreseeable future.

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The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management shut the sirens down over hardware and security issues in 2019. Originally expected to be upgraded at a cost of $2 million to $2.5 million, the repairs were never completed and the sirens remain silent.

In 2023, they were briefly poised for a comeback after then-Supervisor Aaron Peskin planned to introduce legislation that would fund the repairs. However, the work was never started, with Peskin telling SFGATE in early 2024 they were not added to Mayor London Breed’s budget for the city........

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