(TNS) - With considerable fanfare, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti started the year by trumpeting a cellphone app that will instantly notify users in Los Angeles County when an earthquake of 5.0 or bigger begins to hit.

The pilot program, officially unveiled Jan. 3, can provide crucial seconds — even dozens of seconds — for people to duck and cover or otherwise take potentially lifesaving actions.

Dubbed ShakeAlertLA, it’s the first earthquake early warning system of its type in the country.

But that also means the rest of California continues without such alerts.

Despite its reputation for both earthquakes and high-tech innovation, the state plan has progressed sluggishly while a handful of other quake-prone countries — including Mexico — have launched successful early-warning programs.

Japan’s system is particularly sophisticated, with a nationwide network that not only notifies the public via cellphones but automatically addresses certain life-threatening operations, including stopping trains and opening elevator doors at the first available floor. The system has been in place since 2007.

One reason California trails those countries is that it hasn’t received the same funding priority.

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