Officials discuss attack protocol; safeguards against false alarms
Last month’s missile scare in Hawaii wouldn’t happen in Ohio, officials say.
Ohio Emergency Management External Affairs Chief Jay Carey said there are a few people that need to okay such an alert before it goes out to the public, he said.
“The last thing you want to do in emergency management is make people become laissez-faire,” he said.
According to Carey, there are three criteria that need to be met before an alert goes out. He said there needs to be a verified threat, officials need to know where it’s going to hit and there needs to be something citizens can do to get safe.
Once those criteria are met, the Ohio EMA sends out Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) via mobile phone and other alerts by television or landline. The phone alerts, Carey said, are similar to amber alerts.
From there, it’s a partnership between federal, state and local emergency services.
“It really takes our local officials to tell what’s going on locally,” Carey said.
The federal government will regularly be updating the Ohio EMA with information, and the Ohio EMA will be doing the same for local agencies like the Union County EMA.
“It’s really a partnership,” Carey said.
Union County EMA Director Brad Gilbert said the Hawaii incident made his agency “take a step back” and make sure it was comfortable with its protocol.
“We don’t have the kind of information (the state and federal government has),” he said. “But on a local basis, we’re comfortable with our methods of alerting.”
Gilbert said his agency would get the word out with its established opt-in system. Union County would be relying on its state and federal partners for information, and in the meantime, it would be out encouraging people to get ready. That includes reading local and social media for more information.
“Outside of that, there’s not a whole lot else that we’re going to be able to offer right off the bat until we start getting information,” he said.
He encouraged people to make sure they’re aware of what going on and to monitor new information.
“We would encourage people to prepare for and react to this just like any other emergency,” Gilbert said.
He said the actions citizens would take in the case of a ballistic missile are almost like taking shelter for a severe storm. People should go to their basements or similar shelter and take cover.
“Have a plan, have a disaster kit and make sure everybody in your family or your business is aware of that plan,” he said.
Carey said the first alert people received would not contain instructions, but that may change in the near future. He said the current emergency alert system the state uses has a 90-character limit, though the U.S. government will increase that limit to 360 characters next year.
Casey reiterated that his agency would be focused on making sure it provides current, accurate information.
“It’s about getting people the right information,” he said. “So that they can make the right decision.”
Gilbert mirrored that statement, saying it’s the Union County EMA is always careful when keeping citizens up to date.
“Certainly we’re not going to get the criticism (Hawaii) got if we mess up, but we don’t want to have that happen,” Gilbert said.