Alerts cause alarming wake ups

Editor:
Regarding the emergency alert system: of course, it is wrong to call 911 to complain about Amber Alerts.
It is also wrong to have a government or commission mandate that everyone with a modern cell phone must receive ALL alerts, 24/7.
It does not have to be that way; for instance, the U.S. allows individual freedom of choice as to what type of alerts to receive, Amber Alerts, Emergency Alerts, and Public Safety alerts. The choice is yours.
It is baffling to think that anyone believes that Amber Alerts are emergencies for all. They are clearly emergencies for the people involved and for the police. But certainly not for the millions of people who were aroused from their sleep at 3 or 4 a.m.
Consider the side effects: If the alert was for all of Ontario, that’s 14 million people. Suppose 10 million are actually asleep at 3 a.m. and smart phone penetration is 70%. If only 20% of those 7 million sleepers leave their smart phones on over night, that’s well over a million who were probably awakened by this “emergency”. It’s hard to think how mass sleep interruption could aid in an Amber Alert. If there is a real public safety emergency, where the sleepers’ lives might be in danger, it would make sense. But the suggested solution of just turning off the phone would remove the true service the alert could provide.
But has anyone thought of the harm that is done by awaking a large population unnecessarily in the middle of the night? What about the thousands of people who stumble to their phone in the dark? What about the effects of sleep deprivation on civility the next day? Each time daylight saving time changes, there are articles pointing out real measured effects such as accident rates and emergency room visits that such minor disruption in sleep cycles brings. A statistical study of the possible increase in accidents associated with middle of the night compulsory Amber Alerts might well reveal a similar pattern.
The solution is simple: the CRTC should give us back the choice of what our phones do for us.
A sensible compromise would be to allow Amber Alerts to be muted during a time of the user’s choosing (e.g. sleeping) as we can now silence calls and messages. True public safety alerts could still be mandated. Amber Alert is just one of 20 alert categories for which the system is intended (see alertready.ca).
Such a change would restore public confidence in the alert system, and might increase public good will toward the Amber Alerts directed to those who are awake.

Bob McLean,

Creemore.