I’m sure we’ve all seen emergency alerts on TV or heard one on the radio. But with the recent string of devastating weather, including tornadoes and flooding, it’s not surprising that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is expanding its emergency alert notification system to reach more people faster.
When I first heard about this, I thought it makes perfect sense. With the number of people who rely on mobile devices for just about everything, having a cell phone warning system that sends an alert to cell phone users in advance of a disaster could potentially prevent casualties and save lives.
This is a step in the right direction of getting pertinent information out quickly about natural disasters. While I think it makes perfect sense, some questions do come to mind: will consumers take advantage of the free information or will they opt out to decrease the amount of information that is sent to their cell phones? Or what about cell phone customers of wireless carriers who aren’t part of the system? I’m sure there will be some bugs to work out, but with time this should be a useful system. Thoughts, comments or other questions that come to mind?