Bill Curnow Discusses Emergency Warning Task Force Options [Audio]

Wednesday on Lubbock's First News, Bill Curnow, Disaster Program Manager Volunteer Partner (or Disaster Responder) for the Red Cross South Plains, discussed the emergency warning options considered among the Task Force.

While options such as sirens, weather radios, and telephone communication systems were considered, Curnow said, "there's no single warning system that will serve Lubbock best." He continued, "we're look at a comprehensive, multimodal, multimedia type approach of using several technologies that can overlap each other in an attempt to reach as many people as possible."

Curnow described some of the pros and cons of each type of alert system, noting that due to the disaster that would be taking place when they are set off, there could be problems when using sirens or cellular phone alerts. He also discussed the concern of "warning fatigue" that can happen when the alerts are over tested. In general, he recommended that people purchase S.A.M.E. weather radios in case of emergencies. There are other steps that can be taken by individuals, such as Nixle, a Lubbock Police Department notification system. More information on Nixle can be found on the LPD website.

Listen to the full interview for more details: