Posted at 2:58 p.m., Friday, October 20, 2006
State to reply to mayor's emergency alert concerns
Advertiser Staff
Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, Hawai'i's adjutant general and head of Civil Defense, and Lenny Klompus, Gov. Linda Lingle's Communication Director, will hold a press briefing this afternoon to respond to comments about emergency communications challenges made this morning by Mayor Mufi Hannemann.At the briefing, set for 3:45 p.m. at Lingle Headquarters on Kapiolani Boulevard, officials are expected to address the matters tied to the Emergency Alert System. Hannemann announced this morning that the city is trying to get permission from the state to be able to access the Emergency Alert System on its own authority, instead of having to follow state protocol.
Hannemann also announced plans to get more accurate information out to the public quickly in the event of an emergency, such as Sunday's earthquakes and power outage.
The city's Traffic Management Center has the ability to communicate directly with TV and radio stations and in the future will use that technology to get information directly to the media when that is the most effective option, Hannemann said. In addition, he said, the city's information technology experts will be looking into ways to get information out over the Internet.
