[sbe-eas] Canada: B.C.now learning the public alert lessons previously learned by others

[Ben Overbaugh]

While the severely impacted site might have been localized, people are not
localized.  Informing everybody in a larger area about a localized disaster
allows people to help spread the word, call loved ones, avoid the area,
etc.  The idea that only 300 people are affected, so we shouldn't notify
everybody is just folly to me.


Ben Overbaugh, CBRE (He/Him)
Staff Engineer
KJZZ * KBAQ * Sun Sounds
Office: 480-774-8412 <(480)774-8412>


On Thu, Nov 18, 2021 at 8:17 AM FRANK W BELL <frank.w.bell at usa.net> wrote:

> Dear Sean,
>
> It appears that the issue of the flooding was localized in its severity.
> This illustrates the problem with EAS currently, in which such alerts
> cannot be delivered to a map polygon or other forms of selectivity. How
> targeted the Canadian WEA is at present I don't know. Hopefully the
> improvements that the READi Act authorizes will address this and many other
> such limitations. Meanwhile Broadcasters also are hesitant about sending
> irrelevant alerts to large numbers of the public. Better technology is
> possible.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Frank W. BELL
>
> This communication is private and confidential. If you are not the
> intended recipient, please delete this communication, however you are
> welcome to first reply to frank.w.bell at usa.net noting that you received
> this communication and whether you consider this to be in error or some
> other situation.
>
>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> *Received: *11:02 PM EST, 11/17/2021
> *From: *Sean Donelan <sean at donelan.com>
> *To: *sbe-eas at sbe.org
> *Subject: *[sbe-eas] Canada: B.C.now learning the public alert lessons
> previously learned by others
>
>
> The Canadian province of British Columbia is experincing disasterous
> flooding across the province. Several rivers have burst their banks and
> broken dams. Natural gas lines have been damaged, and temperatures are
> dropping below freezing. Prayers and hope for the safety of everyone
> impacted in British Columbia.
>
>
> As happened during the California wildfires, the British Columbia
> provincial government says public alerting is a "local matter." Government
> officials declined to use the Canandian Alert Ready public warning system
> because of "fears it would cause widespread panic."
>
> Does this sound familar?
>
>
> Alert Ready is the the Canadian version of IPAWS, EAS and WEA. Alert
> systemson US and Canadian cell phones are interoperable (but not
> identical). Canada uses the "mandatory" (in the US, equivalent of the
> "presidential") alert for ALL alerts. And the public has complained
> about the inability to opt-out of alerts.
>
>
> According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), British Columbia
> is the only proviance in Canada which has not used Alert Ready since it
> became available in 2016.
>
> Instead a local mayor recorded a public alert message on YouTube. Rescue
> workers went door-to-door to alert close to 300 people, who were able to
> leave safely. Again, does this sound familar to the flash flooding in San
> Jose California a few years ago?
>
>
>
>
> https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/province-feeling-heat-for-not-using-emergency-alert-system
> Province feeling heat for not using emergency alert system
>
> Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has promised to deploy the Alert
> Ready system, but not until next year.
>
>
>
> Least, Americans become too smug. The U.S. could learn a lot of
> public alerting lessons from Japan and South Korea. Its better to learn
> the lessons from others, than to make the same mistakes yourself.
>
>
>
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