 Hello everyone, I'm Shawn Boyd. When it comes to earthquake preparedness, California has always been on the front lines. On Thursday, a special advisory board took a very big step in developing an earthquake early warning system for the state's 39 million residents. It is definitely a bold challenge and experts say they're closer than ever. Welcome to the earthquake early warning advisory board. The initial meeting of the California earthquake early warning advisory board kicked off Thursday at the state Capitol. Today was terrific just to educate everyone. There's a lot to learn for these members who come from utilities, emergency services, business, academia, health, natural resources and government. All of them are on this advisory council which is going to help to shape the whole earthquake early warning system and the best way to roll it out the most efficient way and how to accelerate that process. Earthquake, earthquake, moderate shaking. The long road to an early warning system starts with understanding earthquakes and the technological and human challenges of an effective, reliable system. SB-135 which established Cal OES as the lead organization. Presentations by Cal OES' Tina Curry and Ryan Arba and by Doug Given of the U.S. Geological Survey. Our goal is to do a three-state system to protect the entire West Coast. Shedded much-needed light on what the board faces in the coming months and years. Clearly California is the leader. California is leading the U.S. with this effort which includes beta testing sensors and alert systems already installed. We still have a ways to go but this governance structure will help to take all of the great efforts that have been going on and make sure that they are moving in the most appropriate and efficient manner. This is a test. Of course one of the bigger hurdles if not the biggest is mobile phone technology. Given says we are three to seven years away from cell technology that can handle the alerts in the speed necessary to be effective. You can like more information on this story as well as any of the others. All you have to do is go to OESnews.com there we'll have the information you need as well as some helpful links and of course check out our Facebook Instagram and Twitter pages as well. For all of us here I'm Sean Boyd for OESnews.com