Texas residents lead the nation in silencing emergency alerts, prompting concerns about missed critical notifications.
AUSTIN, Texas — Every day, people receive a considerable amount of texts, calls, social media messages and push notifications on their phones. For many, the amount of alerts can become overwhelming, leading some people to mute their devices and potentially miss critical notifications.
Martin Ritchey, Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG’s) Homeland Security Director, says Texas tops the nation when it comes to silencing alerts, likely due to the high number of notifications residents receive. This includes alerts that may not be relevant to their specific location or situation.
Federal, state and local authorities all share the responsibility of warning the public about potential dangers, but when the public turns alert notifications off, there’s only so much that can be done to warn them.
“I don’t know if the training is there for the public,” Martin said. “We have to do a better job every day to communicate to the public that these warnings mean something and try to get them tailored.”
Officials recommend Texans register their contact information online through WarnCentralTexas. The website enables local authorities to reach residents directly by phone, text or email in the event of disasters or public safety emergencies.
“Everybody has to take responsibility for themselves and their families,” Martin said. “Turning off your emergency notifications on your cell phone is not going to help you have more information, it will give you less information.”