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Oliver Dowden, the Conservative minister who played a key role in introducing the UK’s emergency alert system, encountered an unexpected situation earlier this month when his phone emitted the now-familiar loud bleeping sound. However, what caught him off guard was the content of the message he received. On 14 August, like millions across England and Wales, Dowden was notified through a “severe alert” warning of a “very high risk of wildfires nationally” and advising people to avoid activities that might trigger fires, such as lighting disposable barbecues. This marked the most extensive deployment of the alert system to date, but Dowden has since expressed doubts about whether the nationwide warning was truly warranted.
Together with two other officials who helped develop the emergency alert system, Dowden is urging the government to be transparent with the public about the criteria for issuing such alerts in the future. Dowden, who previously served as deputy prime minister, shared with BBC News his concerns: “I was surprised at the decision to issue this nationwide alert and it raises some serious questions. The government needs to clarify the criteria for its use and why this alert met those criteria.” The decision to send out the wildfire alert followed discussions by the government’s Cobra emergency committee and received approval from Louise Haigh, effectively acting as deputy to the Prime Minister.
The alert’s release sparked a range of reactions. On social media, some users threatened to disable the alert feature on their phones. Additionally, domestic abuse charities and survivors highlighted the risks posed to victims using concealed phones, and confusion arose due to multiple alerts being sent out. Dowden’s primary concern is that the wildfire alert resembled more of a public information campaign than an imminent emergency threatening lives throughout England and Wales. He stated, “People need to know that when they receive an alert, it is a genuine imminent emergency. If that confidence is lost, people will simply ignore it.” A Cabinet Office report from 2014 had already flagged this “cry wolf” effect but also noted strong public support for the alerts. Dowden emphasized, “Alerts should not be issued just because the government wants to be seen to be doing something.”
Those involved in creating the alert system maintain that the wildfire warning did increase public awareness and influenced behavior positively. The National Fire Chiefs Council noted a significant drop in wildfire incidents following the alert, a view supported by government insiders who pointed out the routine nature of wildfire alerts in various European countries. A government spokesperson commented, “By following the guidance that was issued, people were able to take the necessary steps to keep themselves safe and front line services recorded a significant decrease in incidents in the following days.” However, Frazer Rhodes, who spent ten years working with the government to develop the alert technology and set strict thresholds for issuing warnings, believes a comprehensive review is needed to prevent future alerts from losing their impact. Rhodes recounted receiving the alert while out in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and his immediate reaction was to question whether the alert’s strict criteria—urgency, severity, and certainty—had all been met. While he felt the wildfire alert met the urgency and severity thresholds, he was less confident about the certainty of a threat to life, adding, “It should be very rare to get an alert.”
When the alert system was designed in 2021, the government identified specific scenarios suitable for sending emergency alerts. These included pandemics, severe weather and environmental dangers such as flooding, counter-terrorism threats, bomb dispersal evacuations, major hazards like the 2005 Buncefield oil depot fire, wildfires, and coal tip landslides. The UK’s system, which has cost up to £25.3 million over its first three years, was modeled on similar alert systems in Australia and New Zealand that do not allow users to opt out—unlike the UK system. Unlike SMS or app-based notifications, the UK alert uses cell broadcast technology which targets specific cell towers to send a radiowave-like signal, ensuring that all mobile phones in the affected area receive the message regardless of their number.
A forthcoming Cabinet Office campaign planned for autumn aims to educate the public on enhancing preparedness for extreme weather events and cyber-attacks. Meanwhile, Nick Corney, another official involved in the alert system’s creation who served in the Cabinet Office between 2018 and 2021, believes the government missed an opportunity with the wildfire alert by opting for a nationwide message instead of concentrating on postcodes with the highest risk. He suggests that a thorough review should be conducted to improve alert messaging, including providing more specific information about threats to life along with web links for further guidance. Corney emphasizes the need for more careful consideration in deciding between national versus local alerts, cautioning, “You’ve really got to take yourself out of the Cobra room. There’s a level of scaring the public that needs to be taken into consideration.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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