A new digital system will allow the U.S. government to send national disaster alerts to wireless telephones, hand-held computers and Web sites, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, June 17, 2003).
The system is an updated version of alerts that would have been transmitted by radio and television in the event of a Cold War nuclear strike. Under an order from President George W. Bush, it would warn the public of war, natural disasters, terrorist attacks “or other hazards to public safety and well-being.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to have the system operational by the end of 2007. Officials plan to demonstrate the system today on public television in Virginia.
“Anything that can receive a text message will receive the alert,” Homeland Security Department spokesman Aaron Walker said. “We find that the new digital system is more secure, it’s faster and it enables us to reach a wide array of citizens and alert them to pending disasters.”
Costs for the system are set at $5.5 million for national testing and deployment, and $1 million yearly for maintenance, Walker said (Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press, Star Tribune, July 12).
I'll take the maintenance part--thank you
The problem is it cost me 5 cents to recieve a text message on my cell phone---
Actually--I think RED should incorporate that Security Alert Level thingy on the main forum page so we don't get nuked while posting.
Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:4445, old post ID:35716
