Equip Americans with Terror Alert Beepers?

Nov 26, 9:27 am ET, By Laura MacInnis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Because media broadcasts may spread news too slowly in emergencies, a group of U.S. security experts recommended on Monday that Americans carry government-issued beepers for alerts of pending nuclear attack, biological threat or tornado.

Partnership for Public Warning, a 30-member panel including representatives of the FBI and American Red Cross, said a national system could send warnings to citizens via their pagers, mobile phones or computer screens.

"More people at risk will be warned," the group said in a report. "Improved warning systems and procedures will clearly save significant numbers of lives every year, will reduce losses from natural and man-made disasters, and will speed recovery."

The group called on the newly established Homeland Security Department to spearhead the technology, which would be produced by private industry and operated by governments and selected other organizations following strict protocols.

"The new Department for Homeland Security should take responsibility for leading development of a national all-hazard public warning architecture, in partnership with other federal agencies, state and local governments, industry, universities and other stakeholders," the report said.

President Bush cited quick responses to attacks as a priority of the new department, which will consolidate parts of 22 departments to better prevent attacks in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijack attacks in which some 3,000 people died.

Partnership for Public Warning did not criticize the nation's current color-coded alert system, but cited broad public apprehension over current U.S. warning systems.

"One federal agency needs to be identified to be responsible for assuring that national systems and procedures exist, are effective, and are properly utilized for the distribution of warnings," the report said.

"Until that changes, the current ineffective, heterogeneous situation will remain unchanged," the group said.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002

Answers

I'm not so sure that this is such a great idea. I mean, if there's an attack, the news will spread like wildfire, as it did on 9/11. I don't need another problem, as in, "Sheesh, I forget the cell phone and there might be an alert!" I mean, can you imagine an alert going out on all those cells and pagers owned by people driving the interstates and freeways at rush hour and all panicking at exactly the same time? yeah, sure, a lot of them would hear via a phone call from home or on the radio, but let's not push that particular button, ya know?

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002

I dunno. it might be handy to have a beeper tell you you're gonna die from an attack just before you rearend a semi at 70 mph. poetic justice, ya know? ;(

The tornado aspect is sort of appealing...

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002