An emergency notification system refers to a collection of methods that allow the one-way dissemination or broadcast of messages to people during an emergency. An important function for such public alerts is the ability to broadcast on more than one forum. Public alerts traditionally make use of radio and television, and have incorporated social media, texting, email, and other cellular notifications.
Communications failures often occur during major disasters. In 2014, the CRTC required all FM and AM radio, and over-the-air television stations, as well as subscription-based broadcasters, to participate in the National Public Alerting System (NPAS). Four years later, on April 6, 2018, the CRTC also required all wireless service providers to participate in NPAS and begin distributing wireless public emergency broadcasts on their LTE networks125.
In Alberta, as a result of the July 31, 1987, tornado that struck Edmonton and the surrounding area, the government developed an Emergency Public Warning System (EPWS) in 1992. The EPWS was the first rapid warning system of its kind to use media outlets to broadcast critical life-saving information directly to the public.
In October 2011, the EPWS was upgraded and renamed the Alberta Emergency Alert to address the changes in technology, as radio and television moved from analogue to digital. Alerts are disseminated through various media outlets including television, radio, and social media. In 2014, an app was created for both iOS and Android devices to help with the dissemination of this information to the public126.
References
125CRTC. Emergency Alert Messages and NPAS. 15 October 2020. Accessed 11 March 2021.
126Alberta Government. Alberta Emergency Alert History. Accessed 11 March 2021.