Amber Alert tests emergency messaging
OPP receives complaints of disruption, concerns about distracted driving
An Amber Alert for a missing 8-year-old put Ontario’s Emergency Alert system to the test Monday morning after the child was reported missing in Thunder Bay.
The alert was issued around 11:30 a.m. to phones across Ontario. A second alert, this time in French, was sent out shortly after. A third alert rang out around 1:30 p.m. after the child was found safe.
Test alerts were sent out to LTE enabled phones across eight provinces and two territories on May 9. A glitch in the messaging system caused problems for alert’s testing in Ontario, where only a small set of mobile users received the notification. In Quebec, no alerts were received.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ordered wireless providers to implement the system to distribute warnings of imminent safety threats, such as tornadoes, floods, Amber Alerts or terrorist threats.
“There is no opt out,” said CRTC spokesperson Patricia Valladao when contacted by the Star on Monday. “Given the importance of warning Canadians of imminent threats to their safety, life and property, it will not let you opt out of receiving alerts.”
Pelmorex Corp., the company that controls the service that disseminates amber alerts, said on their website that “the issuing government authority” of the alert decides which areas it’ll be sent to. OPP spokes- person Sgt. Carolle Dionne confirmed that the police form sent to the alert system has a checkbox to specify whether or not the incident warrants a “provincial alert.”
“People need to remember that it’s a quick alert that may potentially save a child’s life,” Dionne said. The OPP received numerous complaints from people about the alert causing disruptions.
The message lead to fervent discussion on social media, with many questioning the effect of an emergency alert issued across the province for an Amber Alert in Thunder Bay. Further concerns were raised on the impacts that the alerts may have on drivers who are startled by phones that were intentionally left on silent.
Martin Davies says he was at his work desk with his iPhone set to “do not disturb,” a setting that blocks incoming calls and text messages from disrupting the user. Davies was listening to music when the alert came in — loudly — through the headphones he was wearing. Later, Davies says he was driving to lunch when a second alert came in, this time over his car’s Bluetooth.
“All of a sudden it starts going off like crazy,” Davies said. “If someone was easily startled that could now cause distracted driving.”
The Alert Ready website notes in its FAQ section that a device set to silent will display an emergency alert, though may not play the alert sound.
“The emergency alert sound will usually play at whatever the current volume setting is on the wireless device,” the page reads. “However, this behaviour can differ depending on your wireless device.”