N.B. RCMP investigate why some received an emergency alert with missing information

Growing concerns about N.B.'s alert ready system Concerns are growing about the alert ready system in N.B., after a recent alert about a shooting left out key information.

New Brunswick RCMP are investigating why some people received an emergency alert of gunshots that was missing critical information.

On Wednesday, a 24-year-old man was arrested following reports of gun shots near a construction site in Cloverdale, N.B.

An Alert Ready message was sent to smartphone users in the Cloverdale area, near Hartland, advising people to shelter in place and avoid the region.

An Alert Ready message was also broadcast on television in other parts of New Brunswick, but did not mention Cloverdale nor any information about the incident’s location.

“We understand that this may have caused confusion and concern,” said New Brunswick RCMP Cpl. Hans Oullette. “As a user of this system, we are also concerned about how the messages were displayed to the public.”

New Brunswick RCMP did not have an explanation on Thursday for why some alert messages were missing location details, adding that an investigation was underway.

Oullette said Alert Ready messages on the radio may have been affected as well.

Pelmorex, the national distributor of Alert Ready messages to broadcasters and wireless providers, directed all questions about Wednesday’s emergency message to New Brunswick RCMP.

“It is at the sole discretion of the authorized government issuer to determine if/when an alert is issued, the content of the alert and the geographical area that is to receive the alert,” said Martin Bélanger, Pelmorex’s director of public alerting, in a written statement.

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