Emergency - Mobile Phones could help

Mobile Phone Text Messages Have Potential to Improve Crisis Warning Systems to Help Emergency Response-Oireachtas Committee Report




7th July 2010



Mobile phone text messages could help to improve early warning systems to ensure that the public and emergency services are better prepared for natural disasters, extreme weather events or unpredictable catastrophes, a report by the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has said today.



The report examines the suitability of using mobile phone text messages as an effective means of providing advance notice to the public and emergency services about unanticipated events and emergencies. Such a system would enhance the capacity of the public to act in anticipation on an emergency.



Report Author and Committee Member Simon Coveney TD said;

“Recent unexpected events like the flooding crises have stressed the need for the State to ensure that modern technology is fully exploited to ensure that citizens and rescue services receive early information in an accessible form.”



Unfortunately, we have all seen how extreme weather conditions and unpredictable catastrophes have caused significant and lasting damage to communities and property. While the response of emergency services to the recent flooding in many parts of Ireland was effective and in some cases heroic, the inability to accurately and effectively warn the public of predictable damage was a major failing.



Clearly, the earlier people get a definitive warning of a potential crisis the better the chance to minimise the damage.



The report identifies a number of key issues which would need to be addressed in order to ensure the successful implementation of a text message based national emergency warning system.



Simon Coveney TD said;

“While clearly, there are obstacles which need to be overcome before any such system could be rolled out, I feel that the benefits of this technology offer exciting potential to improve communication channels between emergency response coordinators and the public.



With mobile phone ownership in Ireland virtually at universal level, a text message alert system to notify people of emergency situations has the capacity to communicate vital information to large numbers of people in a quick and accessible format.



Any such process would also help to compliment traditional information channel such as TV, radio and press. The recent adverse weather events have demonstrated the importance of preparation when dealing with emergencies and the need for timely, accurate and consistent information.”



The report also evaluates some of the similar schemes available in other countries such as the Australian Early Warning Network and plans by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States to roll out a nationwide SMS based alert system.



The report will be sent to the Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan TD and to the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) who provide a key support role to the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning. The OEP is charged with refining the arrangements to improve the emergency planning process.



The report was compiled with the assistance of Mr Kevin Dunphy of Magnum Opus.



A full copy of the report is also available at www.oireachtas.ie