[LINK] No cash for phone alert system

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Richard Chirgwin wrote:
> [big snip]
>>> To include mobiles, such a system would need to know which mobiles were
>>> logged in at which locations. ...
>>>     
>> A text message could be sent to all the mobile phones in an area 
>> using "Cell Broadcast". This sends a text message similar to SMS to 
>> all the phones using a particular cell tower. The technology is 
>> intended for sending such emergency messages.
>>
>> ps: You may recall we had this discussion in September 2008, about 
>> tsunami warnings: 
>> <http://mailman.anu.edu.au/pipermail/link/2008-September/079367.html>.
>>   
> Tom,
> 
> I was thinking along different lines ... in terms of evacuation, the
> emergency service is greatly helped by knowing:
> - how many evacuees they're dealing with and who these are; and
> - how many received the message.
> 
> In this way, the fire authorities can know several things:
> - Did everybody get the evac message?
> - How many people will be heading along which evacuation routes?
> - Are we risking a dangerous concentration of evacuees in a particular
> area? (For example, we can send 100 people to the sports field, but not
> 3000).
> 

My experience of bushfires was from a few years ago, when the fires in the blue
mountains and the central coast circled "Sydney". The reality is that like the
situation in Canberra these are really suburbs of Commuters. At the time I had a
brother working at the Gosford Hospital, and living in the vicinity and a friend
living in the Blue Mountains and working in Sydney.

It was difficult to comprehend what was happening, I was concerned for the
safety of my brother and the friend driving to home to the Blue Mountains was in
justifiably frantic.Their stress was increased by the  fact that their child was in
day care in the mountains and their husband worked at Lithgow. I ended up keeping
my friend company on the drive home. But when we got there it transpired that part
of the stress was due to the gutters and roof being covered in leaves, which I
jumped
on the roof and cleared out.

After some discussion the car was filled with personal items and it was
suggested I could drive this back to Sydney for safe keeping. However, by now it
was difficult to tell whether the road back to Sydney had been cut off and  I
decided to stay put and returned to Sydney after things had calmed down a few
days later.

I managed to ascertain that my brother, in Gosford, was at work in the hospital
- so, obviously did not need to speak to him.

It seems to me that the real problem we suffer from is too little understanding
of our environment, and anticipating and mitigating threats. It is the aged and
young that need help, not just a phone call.

Not to mention that homes seem to be inappropriately designed for protection
from embers.
Then there is the problem with toxins released by the fire from building
materials such as treated pine.

Lastly, these far flung suburbs also have other problems - it is impossible to
provide effective public transport.

Lastly, building evacuation drills are used to prepare people and test plans.
Perhaps we need the same for the 'burbs.

Though I fear the only response will be slash and burn!

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202