Emergency Management System Goes Cellular

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   RJ Schwartzposted 5 years ago

   
   
   A new Federal Emergency Alert system is being tested tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2:18 EDT across the nation.  This is the first time the system will be tested.  Estimates are the 225 million mobile and wireless devices will ring or buzz simultaneously across the nation, followed by a radio and television broadcast a few minutes later.
   
   The intention of this system is only for real national emergencies and will serve as an upgrade to the existing system.  FEMA officials are stressing that it can only be used for national emergencies or if the public were in peril (rules outlined in a 2006 law) and they say it can't be used for any sort of personal message from the president, but people are already protesting.
   
   A group has already filed a lawsuit citing this intrudes on their free speech and they should not be compelled to have these messages appear on their phones.
   
   What are you thoughts on this subject?  Do you think it's a good idea or not?  If there was an "opt-out" option would that change your mind?

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      wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      I'm a little confused how a govt. emergency broadcast on my phone intrudes on my free speech.  Will it stop me from cursing Trump or something?
      
      Also a little surprised that every phone in the country will ring simultaneously - I would expect the system to be overloaded long before that.  It will be interesting.

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         RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         From what I hear, some people think the President will misuse it to send what they call "fake news" to people's phones; giving him an advantage that the rest of the media won't have.  It's a stretch, but that's one of the complaints.

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      Live to Learnposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      You can turn off emergency alerts in the settings of your phone. Would these come through anyway?

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         RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I heard this morning that there is no way to opt-out.  Now that doesn't mean someone who knows consumer electronics better than I do, could find a work-around.

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            wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Unless the concept and possibility was in mind when your phone was made (or programmed) I would think simply blocking the number would work.
            
            Of course, with constant updates, that programming can be changed very easily.

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            Live to Learnposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Out of curiosity, I've turned my alerts of and left my husband's on. I'll see.

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               RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Love to hear the results of this experiment

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                  Live to Learnposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  The alert came through my phone with all alerts turned off.

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                     RJ Schwartzposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     Ironically, I never received the alert on my phone (Verizon is my carrier) which really shocked me...

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                        Live to Learnposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                        Both of our phones are Verizon.

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   Ed Fisherposted 5 years ago

   You all know the liberal will sue to keep from hearing the bad news!

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   wildernessposted 5 years ago

   Well, I saw it on the TV and got a notice on my phone as well that there was a message.  I had to take action on the phone to see the actual message, though.  My wife, whose phone was turned off, got nothing.

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