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"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." That quote from physicist Richard Feynman is particularly relevant when it comes to the increasing use of technology in public safety and the challenges that these technologies present. According to an article by Alan Gomez for USA Today, many cities across the nation are having second thoughts about alerting residents to natural disasters and catastrophes via their cell phones and computers. City officials say they are worried because of the cost of these technologies and serious questions about whether they work.
Public safety alert systems that issue e-mails and text messages warning of everything from traffic jams to terrorist incidents are now commonplace. As is usually the case the response from agencies and individuals is mixed. Although many communities are satisfied with the systems, others say their experiences have been less than satisfactory.
For instance, when a tornado was reported near Fort Collins, Colorado last June, about 100,000 people who were supposed to receive alerts via their cell phones and e-mail inboxes never got the message. Thankfully the tornado fizzled out but the notification failure led the local police agency that operates the program to retrain personnel as well as asking the software company that developed the software to rework the system. Kimberly Culp, executive director of the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority which oversees the Fort Collins program, said such glitches are expected with a program that isn't even a year old.
"Of course there's going to be hiccups along the way," she told Mr. Gomez in a recent interview. Even a bigger issue is the cost. In a time when line personnel are forgoing raises or getting laid off, some question the wisdom of spending money on gadgets instead of bodies. Some agencies pay annual fees to wireless service providers.
Larimer charges $95,000-a-year to send an unlimited number of messages. Other companies charge by the message. In Houston the automated alert system is a flop. City and public safety officials aren't happy with the cost and want the telecommunications industry to chip in. "We're trying to get out there and say, 'This is for emergency purposes,' " Joe Laud of the Houston Emergency Center told USA Today. "But of course, (wireless providers) are not in the public sector. They are in business to stay in business. That's where the static is."
For profit public safety efforts such as private correctional facilities and programs where municipalities sell advertisiments on their cruisers to defray costs have been met with mixed reactions. As is almost always the case when it comes to innovation, the federal government is way behind cities and counties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) just started a two-year study to analyze the available technology, and the Federal Communications Commission is working with wireless carriers to figure out how best to use their systems.
"We're going to wait and see what the feds develop," David Maxwell, Arkansas' emergency management director told USA Today. A federal warning system, if it ever occurs, won't happen before 2010, said Ann Buckingham, acting assistant administrator for FEMA's National Continuity Programs Directorate. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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