The first major test of the nation-wide Alert Ready system came on Monday as an Amber Alert sounded for a missing Ontario boy. Phones, TVs, and radios sounded just after 11 a.m. for an eight-year-old boy who was missing near Thunder Bay.
The alert was lifted a couple hours later. Kingston police received several complaints about the notices that were sent to cellphones.
“This was an Amber Alert that was not issued by Kingston police. We have no control over it being sent out. It was issued through part of the new Alert Ready system that ended up going to cellphones,” Const. Cam Mack said.
Officials in Thunder Bay are investigating possible child abduction charges. The warning came as a shock to many as the system wasn’t supposed to officially roll out until next year. For those who had complaints about the alert system, Mack says they should contact their provider and also go to Alert Ready.ca to read up on the service and understand it.
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“We would encourage people not to call us because they’re tying up phone lines complaining about something that we have no control of.”
READ MORE: Cellphone emergency alert test hailed a ‘success’ even though many Albertans didn’t get message
At least one person called our newsroom complaining about the alert, saying that it was an invasion of privacy.
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