City-wide community emergency message system on the way - Montreal, QC

Hey guys!

I stumbled across this article while searching for something completely unrelated, but it really raised some red flags for me.

Article (via CJAD.com)

Now, I'm probably getting ahead of myself as this really does seem like a legitimate security measure. However, it was what the guy said that kind of made me go "Hmmmm....":

"So you cannot opt out because it's a question of security," Claude Trudel, executive committee member responsible for public security, said at a news conference. He says he doesn't think people will mind having this personal information accessed via the 9-1-1 data base since it's for public safety. "It's the same thing. When you phone 9-1-1, they have your phone number, they have your address, they know who you are and where you are."

First of all, it doesn't seem like us Montrealers have much of a choice in this. Second of all, I don't ever remember being asked if I mind or not, so I don't see how this guys "thinks" people won't mind. Lastly, whoever's running things at 9-1-1 seem a hell of a lot like Santa Clause... you know... knowing when I'm awake and all that.

Anyway, just sharing this one with everyone. I'm curious to know how you guys would react to this. Would it raise any alarms for you at all? Or am I just being paranoid?

Thoughts?

Scotty

edit to add: I wasn't sure where to put this one, so Mods, feel free to move it to another forum if need be.

reply to post by oaf21


I know in Victoria, Australia we have a new system..
If there's a fire etc in a certain area then the mobile phone towers send out messages to ALL phones in range giving emergency details..

I think it's a great way to get information just to those it affectes rather than feeding everyone stuff they don't need..

reply to post by backinblack


I agree... and like I said, it does seem like an effective security measure. It was more the way it was presented that got to me.

How can I put this... It was like saying "You've all got mandatory rectal exams and can't opt out"... Alright, I suppose it's only for the benefit of my personal health and wellbeing, but in all honesty, the idea doesn't really excite me too much. Is it really that necessary? I'm not too comfortable getting that personal with you...

Does that make sense?

that seems like a major pain in the ass. if they start calling you for every stupid detail, or the phone rings at 3:00 am to notify you that it's going to snow, pretty soon people are going to start to mute their phones and miss phone calls because of this crap.

or worse, when they see their caller i.d. and it's the city of montreal and start ignoring it because it's some random crap like a boiling water advisory, people are not going to pick up when it's a real emergency.

it's only a matter a time before your phone starts ringing every half an hour and you'll have to listen to a prepaid advertisement before the "important" advisory is played. which i believe is the real reason for this b.s.

that's how canada works. worst of all you can't even block the number.

what's next, they start hacking your computer and interrupting your webpage to tell you it's going to be sunny all week. glad i don't live in montreal. 1000% every politician and member of parliament will be magically exempt.

reply to post by oaf21


They are not gathering information..
Your number is already known to them..

I see no issues in fact it worked GREAT here with the floods etc..
Targeting only the affected areas draws more attention..
Probably saved many lives..

A few years ago, while visiting a friend, I noticed a bunch of mail in his mailbox. I brought it up to him, only to find out he had purposefully been not collecting it as he had been edging his bills (unemployed freelance writers, go figure). As he sifted trough it, he found a 6 week old letter from his neighborhood telling him to stop drinking his tap water because the pipes connected to his house were over 100 years old and made out of of an alloy that contained 237% more lead than was allowed to come in contact with human consumables.

I'm not saying it wasn't his responsibility to try to stay on top of this but had this system been in place back then, it would have spared him 6 weeks worth of drinking shty leaded water.