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Emergency Alert System

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees a problem with this. I was at work in Pickering when everybody's phone went off. That get-the-fuck-out-of-here-there's-danger-coming alarm had us thinking Pickering Nuclear was about to blow up or something. I hope they're making some serious refinements to AlertReady. Also, my phone got nothing...
 
We were travelling on the 401, listening to a podcast bluetoothed through the car's audio system. That alert was LOUD. Scary and loud enough to have caused a car accident or a heart attack. I get that it needs to be attention grabbing but it also shouldn't be life threatening.
 
What, it talks to you as well? Damn, so happy with the "obsolete" Sony Ericsson. Even if I was getting them, I don't use it to listen to music and the speaker is buuuuunk after all these years.
 
From the Globe:

Anger over early-morning Amber Alert shows more public education needed: experts

The latest situation arose in the early hours on Tuesday, when police in the area of Sudbury, Ont., issued an Amber Alert
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

So, it happened again early this morning - I have to say it's becoming a nuisance. If your alert system is disrupting someone's sleep for something that doesn't require an immediate response on every recipient's part (like an evacuation or other kinds of immediate danger) that you will want to override their sleep - they are using it wrong. It has nothing to do with selfishness or public education - it is simply an inappropriate application of a system with this much potential to disrupt.

Personally - I am rather glad my phone is always on mute.

AoD
 
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AlvinofDiaspar said:
From the Globe:

Anger over early-morning Amber Alert shows more public education needed: experts

The latest situation arose in the early hours on Tuesday, when police in the area of Sudbury, Ont., issued an Amber Alert
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

So, it happened again early this morning - I have to say it's becoming a nuisance. If your alert system is disrupting someone's sleep for something that doesn't require an immediate response on every recipient's part (like an evacuation or other kinds of immediate danger) that you will want to override their sleep - they are using it wrong. It has nothing to do with selfishness or public education - it is simply an inappropriate application of a system with this much potential to disrupt.

Personally - I am rather glad my phone is always on mute.

AoD
Click to expand...

While I agree the system is not being used optimally; I also think any adult who called 911 to complain should face a stiff fine.

There are plenty of non-emergency numbers one can call to complain without delaying response to someone in urgent need.
 
Northern Light said:
While I agree the system is not being used optimally; I also think any adult who called 911 to complain should face a stiff fine.

There are plenty of non-emergency numbers one can call to complain without delaying response to someone in urgent need.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Complaints about the system in no way excuse misuse of 911.

AoD
 
I take it none of you have children. I have no issues with it. How are we to know someone hasn't jumped on a plane and made their way from Thunder Bay to Toronto? Even if it saves the life of 1 child, it's worth it. Quit your complaining and put your phone on mute.
 
As someone who recently relinquished their dated non-alertable smartphone I had the pleasure of not being awoken by these disturbances. Until last night. Oh god, the horror. Couldn't stop it. They gotta fix this. I can't locate an abducted child when I'm in a dream, no matter how many times or how loudly a woman dictates the details. Not happening. My goal is to silence the noise, seemingly like most who heard it.

As for the 911 stuff. Yeah, it's wrong. But it's a form of protest. Can't start a fire without a spark. Higher ups may listen and enact changes. If nobody protested they probably wouldn't.
 
44 North said:
As someone who recently relinquished their dated non-alertable smartphone I had the pleasure of not being awoken by these disturbances. Until last night. Oh god, the horror. Couldn't stop it. They gotta fix this. I can't locate an abducted child when I'm in a dream, no matter how many times or how loudly a woman dictates the details. Not happening. My goal is to silence the noise, seemingly like most who heard it.

As for the 911 stuff. Yeah, it's wrong. But it's a form of protest. Can't start a fire without a spark. Higher ups may listen and enact changes. If nobody protested they probably wouldn't.
Click to expand...

Agreed on the protest. I have been able to change my phone (Android) settings so it at least does not make any noise so I can dismiss it whenever I happen to next look at my phone and don't have my time wasted on something so useless and dumb. Amber Alerts really only exist because infotainment junk stations like CP24 desperately want them as filler content between stories between "news" about "special weather statements" and car accidents "which may impact your commute home" even though they happened four hours earlier and were already cleared.
 
Jonny5 said:
Agreed on the protest. I have been able to change my phone (Android) settings so it at least does not make any noise so I can dismiss it whenever I happen to next look at my phone and don't have my time wasted on something so useless and dumb. Amber Alerts really only exist because infotainment junk stations like CP24 desperately want them as filler content between stories between "news" about "special weather statements" and car accidents "which may impact your commute home" even though they happened four hours earlier and were already cleared.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go that far - there is a legitimate place for Amber alerts, I am just not sure the current implementation is good. I think it is downright harmful when you are using an emergency system in a way that basically ticks people off enough to dismiss (or even block them) - and you're then left with what when there is an emergency that requires mass mobilization (e.g. evacuation orders, mass casualty events, etc)?

AoD
 
i don't have data on my phone so am not affected and we still have a landline. At first, I had no sympathy for people who complained of being awoken and felt that they should simply turn their phones off, but then realized that, for many, that is their only phone. There are too many personal and work-related situations for me me to pass judgement on why people want their phones on at night (phone me on my landline at night for just about any reason and I will hunt you down).
Perhaps the system can evolve to be more layered, regional, etc. depending on the issue. Remember, it's not just for Amber Alerts. Will people complain about a pending tornado that didn't hit them? It has made some strides from the original gawd-awful robo voice.
As for making your views, known, every police service has an administrative line, email and social media accounts. There is absolutely no need to tie up 911. The call taker has no control over the alerts and may no even be connected to the agency that originated it.
 
Regional is difficult for an Amber Alert because you don't know where a fleeing person will take a child. Yes, they knew they were on a bus from Sudbury to Toronto, but what if they got off the bus somewhere and then headed off in a completely different direction?

If it were my child, I would be frantic and want everyone looking or at least aware and keeping an eye out. And Amber Alerts work.

What I do find difficult, however, is when I am driving and my phone is connected to the audio system and an alert happens. Scares the liver out of me, it's so loud, and it's potentially dangerous. I know it has to get your attention, and it definitely does, but wow, it's loud.

At night, I have my phone set to auto do-not-disturb mode and on mute with only my kids and spouse's calls/texts able to get through. I didn't get the alert, but my husband's phone did, because he never puts his phone on mute, although it is on do not disturb. In the US, there is an iPhone setting that allows you to disable emergency alerts, but that doesn't seem to be available in Canada (because, legislation). I have read about Android users who have been able to disable the feature, however. I don't know why one OS allows it and the other doesn't.
 
PinkLucy said:
At night, I have my phone set to auto do-not-disturb mode and on mute with only my kids and spouse's calls/texts able to get through. I didn't get the alert, but my husband's phone did, because he never puts his phone on mute, although it is on do not disturb. In the US, there is an iPhone setting that allows you to disable emergency alerts, but that doesn't seem to be available in Canada (because, legislation). I have read about Android users who have been able to disable the feature, however. I don't know why one OS allows it and the other doesn't.
Click to expand...

I actually do agree with the public policy of not having a setting that would allow you to disable the alerts - but you better be sure the bar for invoking that high a level of intrusion to be clear and present danger for the recipient. Amber alerts doesn't belong to that category frankly - it demands mandatory public messages - but not klaxons.

I am not sure why we don't do it for seniors either - it is far, far more often that you have lost/wandering seniors, and the outcomes are often just as deadly. Just what kind of public message are we sending in that context?

AoD
 
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In the US, they have Silver Alerts for missing seniors. I have often seen messages on interstates with a vehicle description.
 
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