An article yesterday in The Wired Campus announced that a new report by Patrick G. Traynor entitled "Characterizing the Limitations of Third-Party EAS Over Cellular Text Messaging Services". In it, Traynor, an assistant professor in the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology, says:
“In particular, because of the architecture of cellular networks, such systems will not be able to deliver a high volume of emergency messages in a short period of time.”
Bottom line, there is no way to meet the 10-minute alert goal that has been established by the EAS. Even worse is the possibility that sending a high volume of text messages has the potential to block 9-1-1 calls and communication between emergency response teams.
This is actually something I wrote about last year at this time. Using more low-tech solutions like PA systems and sirens is just as effective. But the first step is figuring out exactly what you need to communicate. The InterAct Missionmode Crisis Management System can help.
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