Editor’s note: One would think it would be more than just a simple press of one button (or two) to issue such an alert. Reminds me of the “oops we accidentally pressed the incoming ballistic missile alert” for Hawaii. Then again we are in strange times where we have clogged toilets and rogue rats grounding planes…
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Posted: Feb 22, 2018 03:54 PM PST
Updated: Feb 22, 2018 11:57 PM PST
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – An equipment test of the Emergency Alert System turned into what appeared to many to be a real emergency Thursday afternoon.
Calls flooded the 17 Newsroom following the warning that flashed across TV screens at 3:24 p.m. alerting about an evacuation order for Kern County.
Emergency Services Alert chairman Rusty Burchfield said broadcasters are required to send a weekly test of the emergency alert system.
“Instead this was sent out as an actual emergency which our stations in the area are required to immediately rebroadcast without question for our listenerships and viewers safety.”
So what went wrong?
“A fellow broadcaster in Lancaster was installing some new equipment and called the county [emergency communication center] … and asked for a test to be resent so they could test their equipment,” Burchfield said.
“In the process, the operator on duty was rather new to the experience and was instructed to follow the procedures. In the process of which, they inadvertently sent out a county wide evacuation.”
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