The Strengths and Challenges of the Australia Emergency Alert System

Australia faces frequent disasters, such as floods, cyclones, bushfires, and storms. This fact forces the government to prepare Australia emergency alert system. This is such a crucial approach that will protect many people from those disasters and stay safe during emergency situations.

So far, there are three types of warnings in the system. The yellow icon means advice, the orange icon means watch and act, and the red icon means emergency warning. These warnings are followed by some information and guidelines. What strengths and challenges do Australia still have?

The Colors Definition in Each Warning

Yellow – Advice

This is the simplest warning. People should be aware of the situation around them. However, the disaster might not affect them much. There is no threat so far that can damage or ruin their condition. People should stay informed and some messages are following.

This advice tells people to keep up to date about what is happening around them. Thus, this caution also means that people must avoid the area in the warning message and avoid smoke. It also allows people to prepare many things.

Orange – Watch and Act

This is a sign to prepare to leave. It is even better if you can evacuate now and stay in the closest shelter in the area. If a disaster such as an earthquake or potential tsunami, it means you have to go to a higher place. For adults, it is the best time to protect children and elderly.

This warning is also a sign that the threat has the potential to harm people. In some cases like cyclones, they have to stay inside and be ready for isolation. It can be not safe to return to your area, so staying in the shelter is the best decision.

Red – Emergency Warning

Taking immediate action is required if you get this sign. It means the threat is around you. It can harm your life and everything around you. Leaving and staying in the shelter is the best decision After that, you have to stay indoors to protect yourself. Bring the necessary stuff with you.

The Strengths of the Australia Emergency Alert System

Specific targeting

One of the strengths of Australia EAS is being specific in targeting. They have a geographical feature to check and map the area which gets the highest risk of disaster. Only people who may get affected severely or mildly will get the alert on their gadget in real time.

Wider coverage

The best side of EAS is the coverage. This system is wider than previous adoption. It becomes more comprehensive where people can get notifications not only on gadgets but also on various platforms. They send the warning through landlines, online services, TV, and radio.

Timely delivery

The warning can be effective when it is timely. The design of the Australia emergency alert system is very quick when the issue is detected. It allows people to take some actions following the warnings they receive on their gadgets and other platforms. They can evacuate faster to the shelter.

Proper information

People may get panicked because of the disasters that come quickly. To make them take action and avoid unnecessary panic, the warning contains proper information issued by the local agencies. The information is specific and people can respond appropriately and safely.

The Challenge of the Australia Emergency Alert System

Mobile Networks

Since some alert system only sends the message using mobile networks, people may miss important information. Those who live in rural areas have limited networks because of the coverage. If the disaster is happening on a large scale, they are unreachable.

Infrastructure

Some rural areas may have different build and quality that can be an obstacle for people to leave and evacuate. This is the biggest challenge as well in a densely populated area. They may not be able to leave quickly because mass evacuation is very hard to do.

False Alarm

This is a big challenge that the system has. It can create confusion and panic among people who receive the warning message. It needs high accuracy in the sensors that are installed in the system. Local government also should set up the urgency.

These big challenges in Australia emergency alert system can be avoided by choosing an SMS broadcaster as the device to send the message. It can cover networking issues and dense population. People can receive the message timely, so they can prepare and evacuate as soon as possible.