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Whether for testing purposes or for actual precautions, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is quite bothersome and distracting for many systems. Upon its release in the 1970s, the EAS has mostly been displayed on television or occasionally the radio, but recently, the system has moved to cellphones, specifically through Amber alerts.
Suffice it to say, nobody wants to be bothered with an Amber alert or an EAS while on their cellphone. Last week, that is exactly what happened-at 4:00 in the morning. The alert was accidentally triggered on cell phones all throughout Florida leaving thousands of residents with a rude awakening. A message was later left saying “This is a TEST of the EAS. No action is required”.
“We know a 4:45 a.m. wakeup call isn’t ideal,” the Florida Emergency Division said the next morning. “Each month, we test the emergency alerts on a variety of platforms. This alert was inended to be on TV and not disturb anyone sleeping. We have already fired the company who provided the alert and wanted to humbly apologize on behalf of all Florida residents”.
Among Floridian residents, there has been minimal outrage on social media regarding the incident, but there is no doubt that many residents victim to the mistake were left quite irritable. Even Florida governor DeSantis weighed in on the issue saying an investigation will be conducted on the company and that the test was “unacceptable” and an “inappropriate use of the EAS”.
The division continues, “We are taking appropriate action to ensure this will not happen again and that only true emergencies are sent in the middle of the night. The division understands that 4 AM wakeup calls are frustrating and inconvenient. However, we want to emphasize that, whil this EAS was unintentional, disasters can still happen at anytime and having a way to receive emergency alerts can save lives. Be on the lookout”.
