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At 02:44 PM 4/6/2010, Laurence Bates wrote:
>I don't believe that it is ever the user's fault that they were not notified
>in a timely manner.  A warning system that has any value whatsoever should
>be timely, organized and comprehensive.  This warning is a useful event only
>if we recognize that it would have been inadequate for any disaster rated
>more serious than a milk shortage.  

Strenuously disagree.   The system still has much value even if it isn't perfect, or even if it isn't nearly as good as it could be for a reasonable expenditure of money.   I would never want to have complete confidence in a disaster warning system.   If people put their confidence in such a thing, we do them a good public service by eroding that confidence.  I want there to be a warning system, but even if we fire all of the MSU professors and employees and invest the money in a better disaster warning system instead, it will never be perfect, or even good enough for people not to complain about it.     Such is life in the real world, where one tries to manage risks but cannot eliminate them.   

(When I saw the warning in my e-mail, I checked wunderground.com and saw that most of the action had already passed to the north of those of us at the Kellogg Biological Station.   I wasn't completely surprised by the warning, because I had been told that there was a possibility of high winds.)

John Gorentz

>Frankly this is a serious issue that
>needs to be addressed so that confidence in MSU's emergency management
>system is not eroded.  At least 40,000 paying customers depend on it.
>
>Laurence Bates
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kwiatkowski, Nicholas [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
>Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 2:15 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] Emergency Warning Anecdote
>
>As with any disaster, please do not rely on personal communications as your
>sole source of information.  These systems often break down in the case of
>emergency.  They are great as supplemental sources of information, and are
>great additions to the sirens, fire-alarm enunciators and announcement
>systems.
>
>If you have the inkling or think there may be a disaster, please tune into
>the mass-media of your choice.  All of the local television and radio
>stations were identifying the tornado's location within 2 minutes of its
>identification by the Grand Rapids NOAA station.  Weather.com, Weather
>Underground and the rest also had prominent displays on their sites for what
>the issue was.  Additionally, the MSU Cable Television system but a
>scrolling banner on each channel, along with WKAR's messages on many of the
>radios and music-on-holds on campus.
>
>If you do hear emergency information from a reliable source (Mass-media,
>etc.), please pass it on those near you.  The only full-proof way that we
>can all remain safe is if we work together.
>
>-Nick Kwiatkowski
> MSU Telecom Systems
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Gene Willacker [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
>Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 12:31 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [MSUNAG] Emergency Warning Anecdote
>
>I just received my e-mail notice about the tornado warning. Based on
>these headers, it looks as though it may have been in the msu.edu mail
>queue for about 45 minutes. Anyone else have stories about the emergency
>alert systems? This would be a good time for DPPS and others to collect
>data. Co-workers here were getting phone and SMS alerts after the storm
>had reached Webberville and the sirens were turned off.
>
>>From - Tue Apr 06 12:20:35 2010
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>Date: 6 Apr 2010 08:33:18 -0700
>Subject: Tornado Warning