Alternative Alert System 'Mothballed' Despite Proven Benefits, Says Founder

Despite the success of an alternative emergency alert system during major disasters, the system has been left unused, or 'mothballed,' according to its founder. Matthew Nolan, who developed Readynet, argues that the current Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA) system, which costs millions of dollars, has significant flaws and fails to deliver targeted, interactive alerts to citizens during emergencies.

Nolan's system was used effectively during the Christchurch earthquakes and the Rena oil spill cleanup, offering real-time, two-way communication with affected communities. He claims that the EMA system, which is now managed by an American software company, lacks the ability to confirm whether messages have been received and cannot target specific areas with precision.

"It's a modern equivalent of a World War II fire siren," Nolan said. "It alerts people that something's happening but can't target messages. You can't tell if people have received the alert or not."

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has acknowledged issues with the current system, attributing inconsistencies to differences in providers and cell tower coverage. However, Nolan argues that the EMA system is not tailored to New Zealand's needs and that a locally owned, interactive system like Readynet would be far more effective.

"There's no office of that organisation in Wellington to work alongside emergency services in New Zealand," Nolan added. "A New Zealand-owned, developed, supported system is the best, and that's what we had built, and our system is now mothballed."

He emphasized that Readynet was not just a backup system but a more advanced, interactive solution that could have been utilized during the recent earthquake off Russia. "We had a system that could tell you exactly who had received the message and who hadn't," he said.

As the NEMA investigates the system's glitches, questions remain about whether the current approach is the best fit for New Zealand's unique geographical and technological landscape. With the recent tsunami advisory still in place, the need for a reliable, targeted alert system has never been more critical.

What's next? NEMA is working with phone providers to resolve issues in the EMA system. However, the debate over whether a more locally developed, interactive system like Readynet could offer better results continues to grow.