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First Line of Defence Alerts Canadians Before Disaster Strikes
Environment Canada issues over 14,000 severe weather warnings annually. In a typical year, tornadoes cause two deaths, twenty injuries and tens of millions of dollars in property damage. Winter storms and excessive cold claim more than 100 lives.
A quick response to severe weather allows people to take necessary action to ensure their safety and minimize damage to their property. That is why Pelmorex Communications, the owner of The Weather Network/ MétéoMédia specialty channels, has proposed a national emergency alert service.
The All Channel Alert service (ACA) will enable authorized federal government agencies or applicable provincial or municipal authorities to alert Canadian cable or satellite subscribers, in both official languages, to imminent threats to life or property caused by severe weather disturbances, natural disasters or other local emergencies.
The proposed system would overlay a message on all television channels distributed by cable and satellite providers in a geographic area affected by an impending emergency, regardless of what channel viewers may be watching. ACA will simultaneously alert local radio and television newsrooms, and provide an audio alert for the visually impaired.
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Safety Canada (January 2005)
Canada's Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
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