Nuclear Emergency @ Pickering - Jan 12, 2020

[Richard White]

I suspect heads would roll a little more promptly with errors of that sort. And why would anyone need an emergency alert if the issue doesn't affect anyone? That's not an emergency so far as the public is concerned.

AoD

It is a standby alert. It lets the public know an incident has occured in order to give them time to prepare to evacuate.

It happened at Chernobyl when the USSR told the citizens of Pripyat everything was alright despite high levels of radiation and a meltdown in progress.

 

[lenaitch]

Honestly, between the various Amber Alert shortcomings and this, my impression of how the system is used is pretty negative. It makes no sense to have a system that makes it so easy to send out an alert of this nature (with questionable fail-safes) and yet takes forever to send out a message of clarification. So what we have is a system that is unresilient towards errors AND correction of such. It's dumb.

AoD

I agree, I think there are both system (quality of 'voice', activation radius, etc.) as well as organizational (length of time to issue an urgent alert/ cancellation) problems. If they don't clean them up, everybody will develop a 'cry wolf' response.

 

[Richard White]

I agree, I think there are both system (quality of 'voice', activation radius, etc.) as well as organizational (length of time to issue an urgent alert/ cancellation) problems. If they don't clean them up, everybody will develop a 'cry wolf' response.

I actually turned off the amber alerts on my phone

 

[lenaitch]

I actually turned off the amber alerts on my phone

I've heard that some people say you can't but it might depend on the network or phone being used. I don't know - I don't have mobile data. As far as know, Amber Alerts, violent weather warnings, nuclear meltdowns all use the same platform.

I've always wondered about simply shutting the phone off at night. I realize that, for many, it is the new 'landline, but seriously, short of being on-call or monitoring an imminent family emergency, who can't get by with checking v/m in the morning. It seems to many that the alert tone is a bad thing but a Facebook 'ding' is okay.

Now, if this was an actual nuclear emergency and you are within the radius, being alerted right away is probably important, but don't they have sirens anymore? Are the residents that don't have mobile data collateral damage?

 

[Richard White]

I've always wondered about simply shutting the phone off at night. I realize that, for many, it is the new 'landline, but seriously, short of being on-call or monitoring an imminent family emergency, who can't get by with checking v/m in the morning

I have a landline and prefer to turn off my phone at night. The way I look at it, if the nuclear plant melts down I'm dead anyway.

 

[picard102]

It seems to many that the alert tone is a bad thing but a Facebook 'ding' is okay.

The alert tone for presidential alerts is supposed to override your DND settings. So those of us who use their phones/watches as alarms, don't get facebook dings at night. But would still have an air raid siren go off for amber alerts / meltdowns.

Also the ding you'd get from Facebook is nowhere near the same level of sound as the siren.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Do you guys have a go bag ready for your family’s quick evacuation?

Are you mad? Do you know how precious a lakefront flat is in this town? I ain't leaving for anything. ?

Also, I get absolutely zero of these alerts and so would be the last to know as I sat here reading the Economist or Globe and Mail on a Sunday morning whilst Fukushima of Durham went down up the coast.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Can't trust the government to sell sand in the Sahara...I mean they are losing money selling weed...can you believe it?...yet we are taxed to death in this country

Weed has always been low ROI.

If the government was in it to make money they would have legalised and sold MDMA or something similar with massive ROI.

Plants are never going to have huger ROI because they're not scarce enough. Anyone can pick mushrooms, grow bushes, or cut cacti. Not just anyone can play chemistry chef.

 

[Richard White]

Are you mad? Do you know how precious a lakefront flat is in this town? I ain't leaving for anything. ?

Also, I get absolutely zero of these alerts and so would be the last to know as I sat here reading the Economist or Globe and Mail on a Sunday morning whilst Fukushima of Durham went down up the coast.

In the event of a Nuclear Meltdown there are 3 simple steps to follow:

Step 1: Find a buddy

Step 2: Bend over and remove your pants

Step 3: Kiss your buddies ass goodbye.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Don't worry, there are plenty other isotopes that can kill you and you can't take pills for those

?


Reminds me of a fairly recent Dilbert cartoon:

Dilbert: "Lately I've been feeling loyal to my company. And that makes me work hard for no extra money. Do you have a pill to keep me from working so hard?"

Doctor: "They all do that if you take enough of them."

I'm sure we could sort something out for just about any isotope coming out of Durham. May have the same end result, but never mind that.

 

[SunriseChampion]

In the event of a Nuclear Meltdown there are 3 simple steps to follow:

Step 1: Find a buddy

Step 2: Bend over and remove your pants

Step 3: Kiss your buddies ass goodbye.

I would actually probably do a lot....er, nvm, this is a family show.

Besides, I have my own 3 steps:

1. Put the kettle on.

2. Sit in reading chair.

3. Remember those Tetley tea ads with Kermit? Yeah, that.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Now, if this was an actual nuclear emergency and you are within the radius, being alerted right away is probably important, but don't they have sirens anymore?

They do have sirens. Put in new ones about ten years ago when I was living in Pickering. They are within a 3km radius of nuclear plants.