Alert Ready message sent Wednesday by N.B. RCMP lacked location for some
New Brunswick RCMP say they are unsure what caused an Alert Ready message, sent Wednesday afternoon, to appear without a location in some formats.
The alert message flashed across TV and phone screens around 5 p.m., telling people to shelter in place because there was a man with a gun on an ATV. But some formats of the alert message did not include the location of the incident.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Hans Ouellette said the local alert that went out to cell phones in the Cloverdale region, east of Hartland, did include the location, and the RCMP are "going to look into" why it did not appear on all alerts.
"After every one of these Alert Ready situations, we always follow up, you know, on how things happened, how things unrolled, and we're always looking to ensure that we review this process … to ensure that things roll even better the next time," said Ouellette.
Justice and Public Safety is aware the alert had issues and has told Pelmorex, the managers of the system, that the government considers finding the cause and fixing the problem an urgent need, said department spokesperson Allan Dearing.
Investigation required before alert, RCMP say
The original alert was warning people about a 24-year-old carrying a camouflaged long gun and driving a red ATV.
According to Ouellette, the West District RCMP responded to a report of shots fired near a construction zone in Cloverdale at 2:48 p.m.
It wasn't until around two hours later that an Alert Ready was issued.
Ouellete said this is because RCMP have to attend the scene to investigate the validity of the report and gather some information before sending an alert.
"We're always in a position from the beginning of the incident to issue a public alert if, and when it was deemed appropriate and necessary," said Ouellette.
"Investigators actually need time to really assess exactly what they're dealing with, gather all the facts, investigate who might have been responsible for that incident, and, you know, determine whether the person could be [a] risk to others."
Ouellette couldn't confirm if the man had travelled anywhere on the ATV between the time police say shots were fired and the alert was sent out. He also couldn't comment on whether there was a risk to the public during that time.
At 5:16 p.m., shortly after the alert was sent, Ouellette said the man was arrested and is now in custody.
Fifteen minutes later, another alert was sent informing people that residents could resume normal activities.
The investigation into the incident is underway.
