[EAS] Univ Colorodo research: WEA alerts could be harmful

[Sean Donelan]

On Thu, 4 Oct 2018, Ed Czarnecki wrote:
> Ok, new research sez WEA may cause milling (looking for additional info),
> which could cause delays in responding to an alert, which could be bad for
> some alerts.
> https://www.cudenvertoday.org/research-on-wea-cell-phone-alerts/

Maybe a new press release from the University PR office.  Not really new 
research.  I read these papers several years ago, as well as others.

DHS S&T funded many researchers at the start of CMAS/WEA. Its good 
research. It happens to focus almost exclusively on wireless alerts, 
because that's what DHS was funding at the time. No one pays for 
research about EAS anymore, not even DHS. You just need to read it in 
context and across multiple researchers, not as a single paper.

Not alerting is worse than any alert.

A vague alert is worse than a specific alert.

A broad alert is worse than a targetted alert.

But like many things, you don't always get everything you want.  So how 
can you make the best of what you have?

A fast 90-character WEA alert is better than no warning the public at all. 
A 360-character WEA alert is better.

A clear, concise, informative EAS message is better than a 90-character 
WEA alert -- if people are watching/listening.  A combination of audio and 
video and on-demand information for EAS would be better than one-shot 
audio alone.

Some accurate (or at least best available) information sooner is better 
than absolutely positively correct information too late.  Continuing to 
update the public through press conferences, web sites, facebook, etc. as 
better information becomes available.

No single alert system is suitable for eveything.  Use all the tools in 
your public warning and information toolbox