Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: hawk220 on November 26, 2002, 11:40:26 AM

Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: hawk220 on November 26, 2002, 11:40:26 AM
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.
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: Ripsnort on November 26, 2002, 12:09:26 PM
Bad idea, 50% of America is made up of idiots (See blue sections of the 2000 election map, primarily around the large city dwellings)
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: AKS\/\/ulfe on November 26, 2002, 12:12:30 PM
I still just don't get it.

We had all of the relevant info that 9/11 was going to happen, but nothing like that has happened in the US before. Therefore the info was not flagged.

Now, info of that nature will be flagged.

Homeland Security Department should just be renamed, "Another Waste of Money".
-SW
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: midnight Target on November 26, 2002, 12:19:37 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Ripsnort
Bad idea, 50% of America is made up of idiots (See blue sections of the 2000 election map, primarily around the large city dwellings)



You must be a bitter, angry little man.......

(Just saving Rude the trouble)
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: mrfish on November 26, 2002, 12:20:19 PM
sniff sniff - is that......is that pork i smell?
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: MrBill on November 26, 2002, 12:49:17 PM
Quote
Originally posted by mrfish
sniff sniff - is that......is that pork i smell?


Only if it is someone else's district.  If it is your district then it is a local jobs program.
:D
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: Ripsnort on November 26, 2002, 12:55:01 PM
Quote
Originally posted by midnight Target
You must be a bitter, angry little man.......

(Just saving Rude the trouble)


No, just uncanny and honest.;)
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: gofaster on November 26, 2002, 01:32:29 PM
Why make the government issue beepers?  They already have the weather alert and emergency system in place.  Why not piggyback off of that system and have the local telco providers send beeper messages to clients?
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: Ossie on November 26, 2002, 01:43:56 PM
Quote
...a group of U.S. security experts recommended on Monday that Americans carry government-issued beepers for alerts of pending nuclear attack...


Okay, so now that I've been "warned" of an impending nuclear attack, what is it exactly that I do?
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: john9001 on November 26, 2002, 03:15:22 PM
ossie...duck and cover
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: whgates3 on November 26, 2002, 03:15:59 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Ripsnort
Bad idea, 50% of America is made up of idiots (See blue sections of the 2000 election map, primarily around the large city dwellings)


actually more like 95% of americans live in or near cities.
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: AKDejaVu on November 26, 2002, 03:53:14 PM
Wow... controlled through wireless comm and distributed to everyone.  Completely secure there.  I figure it would take about 2 days for the first prank terror messages to be sent out.

Of course, any message sent out on them would simply be a "turn on the news and see what just happened" message.  Maybe the media could even work out a 20 minute time delay for everyone but their subscribers?  Or for everyone just to allow them to get cameras set up.

Ah.. its all moot.  It will eventually happen.. just not with pagers.  Wait until wireless networking is perfected then see what ideas pop up.

AKDejaVu
Title: good idea or bad idea?
Post by: mrfish on November 26, 2002, 04:12:30 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Ripsnort
Bad idea, 50% of America is made up of idiots (See blue sections of the 2000 election map, primarily around the large city dwellings)


as we all know the real brain-trust is in the suburbs.