Alberta Emergency Alert

The Alberta Emergency Alert is a public warning system in Alberta that warns the public on impending or occurring emergencies affecting an area. The system was implemented in October 2011, replacing the former Alberta Emergency Public Warning System. Alerts are disseminated through various media outlets including television and radio,[1] internet,[2] social media [3][4] and an Android and iOS app.[5]

Alerts are set into two stages; an Information Alert, in which the public is advised to be prepared for potentially life-threatening emergencies. Information Alerts do not interrupt TV and radio broadcast. A Critical Alert in which potentially life-threatening danger is imminent or present such as a tornado touchdown. Volunteer TV and radio stations transmit "Critical" messages from Alberta Emergency Alert. The system also broadcasts alerts in the event of an AMBER alert.

The system has faced some criticism from the public regarding the clarity of its audio description.[6] The system's text-to-speech technology often mispronounced names of counties as well as words such as "tornado", causing difficulty for the public in understanding the alert being broadcast. Alberta Emergency Alert Services has worked to resolve this issue in early 2013.[7]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/content/about/alertingpartners.html
  2. ↑ http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/
  3. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/abemergalert
  4. ↑ https://twitter.com/AB_EmergAlert
  5. ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.ab.gov.aea
  6. ↑ "Digital alert system hard to decipher: critics". CBC News.
  7. ↑ "Alberta's emergency broadcast system gets new voice". CBC News.

External links