Nearly jumped out my skin a few minutes ago when sirens started blaring. The emergency alert system just triggered, with this generic message about wildfires.

Not any actual impending ones about to burn my house down. Just the general possibility. Because of a heatwave nobody has apparently noticed.

Thought the bomb was about to drop for a second. Has nobody in our government heard the story about the boy who cried wolf?

Sorry if this is venting but this rather caught me by surprise.

  • HerbGrower@slrpnk.netEnglish
    37·
    2 days ago

    “Please don’t start wildfires” isn’t a good reason to set off the modern equivalent of an air raid siren. I hope this isn’t a trend as people will be more likely to disable the system.

    An emergency alert like this should only be used if there is an actual danger. Ideally localised which IIRC this system can be, so if the local national park had an out of control wildfire I would be fine with a county wide alert going out about it.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
      3·
      15 hours ago

      What was extra stupid is that none of the media outlets really reported on the alert all read it out, or anything. So apparently the emergency alert system doesn’t send through an automatic breakthrough into television and radio programming, which surely it should do.

      So what they’ve demonstrated is yet again that the system still doesn’t work properly.

    • Guilvareux@feddit.ukEnglish
      14·
      2 days ago

      Completely agree. I was personally a little annoyed at this usage. There can actually be consequences for some people to have a very sudden, loud, intrusive noise.

      • isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        6·
        2 days ago

        If nothing else, how about just the increased risk of car accidents that comes from more people being sleep-deprived after being woken up in the middle of the night by a warning siren?

        • HerbGrower@slrpnk.netEnglish
          2·
          2 days ago

          It was early evening that most went off, although some people got it hours later. Also it seems like it was sent out twice.

          Was at an open mic night and occasionally heard some going off hours later.

          • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
            4·
            15 hours ago

            You’re not supposed to use your phone while driving but the only way to make it stop beeping what’s to pick up the phone and press OK. So either I’m distracted by the noise or distracted by the phone.

            If there’s an ICBM incoming then sure I guess I’ll take the risk but if you’re just telling me that it’s hot outside I don’t think that’s a worthwhile trade-off.