Civil Defence cell-phone alerting project funded

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson is welcoming a new Civil Defence project looking into the idea of a cell-phone emergency alert system.

This follows an announcement by the Minister of Civil Defence Nikki Kaye of a million dollars funding to develop a business case for the possible programme.

Scott Simpson MP says “This is all about being able to reach lots of people, and quickly. That’s important in large, geographically varied region like the Coromandel.”

Mr Simpson says “We have the vast and fertile plains. We have hundreds of kilometres of coast. We have mountainous forests and remote bush.

Being able to target specific areas means we could save lives during a civil defence emergency.”

“So, if there were a tsunami warning, we could quickly alert people in the affected area. Getting information out quickly is crucial in an emergency.

This mobile phone alert system could fit in well with the existing range of emergency public systems.”

The Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management will work closely with telecommunication providers and local authorities on this business case.

ENDS

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