[EAS] Oroville Dam Evacuation...oh that was close

[Sean Donelan]

Again, its not an either/or decision about public warning systems. Nor is 
one way appropriate for everything.

    OROVILLE, Calif. - Focusing on keeping his community safe in the
    future, one of the first things Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea did at
    Wednesday's press conference was ask everyone in the evacuation zone
    to subscribe to his department's emergency notification system.

    Honea said this will enable citizens to be warned instantly by text,
    call or email if another evacuation is ordered.

Subscription based alerting systems (SMS, email, twitter, etc) work well 
for local community information, and "small" alerts. Subscription-based 
alerts can customize the details, and links to updated web pages. Rarely 
are more than 20% of the local population subscribe, and visitors passing 
through an area almost never subscribed.  During the Women's March in 
Washington DC, the day after the inauguration, some local EMAs sent 
alerts about street and subway congestion throught their 
subscription-based alert systems.  But due to the number of phones in the 
area, people often did not get those subscription-based alerts until 
several hours later.

Mass notification systems (EAS and WEA) work well as the "doorbell" alert. 
Depending on cell phone rates and carrier participation, WEA can alert a 
majority of mobile phones in an area.  However, the message is extremely 
limited, and needs to be supplemented through other media outrage. EAS can 
alert listeners and viewers, and station staff, but only if radio/TV is 
turned on. Of course, EAS shouldn't be used for continuing alerts. After 
the doorbell alert, news stations and reporters can pick up the story.

Weather radios work well as dedicated alerting devices, and as a trigger 
for EAS participants.  However, it requires working weather radio 
receivers; and people disable apparently irrelevant alerts.

And of course, there are other methods such as outdoor sirens, PAs on 
police cars/fire trucks, reverse telephone notification, etc.