Emergency Public Warning System

This article is about the system in Alberta. For the generic concept, see warning system.

Not to be confused with Public Warning System or Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.

The Emergency Public Warning System was a system used in the province of Alberta, Canada until October 2011, whereby local or provincial authorities could warn the public about impending or current emergencies affecting their area. The system was replaced by the Alberta Emergency Alert but is still in use by the provinces Ontario and British Columbia. The system was proposed by the provincial government after an F4 tornado ripped through Edmonton, Alberta on July 31, 1987, killing 27 and causing millions of dollars in damage.

The EPWS could be activated by local police, fire, and environmental agencies; by Environment Canada; and by other provincial and local authorities as required. It could be activated for any of the following reasons:

Severe weather
Flood
Wildfire
Hazardous material release
Terrorist threat
Water contamination
AMBER Alert
Other threats to life, property and safety.

The EPWS was originally operated by the CKUA Radio Network, but was later operated by a private company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario.^[1]It was rebroadcast through various television and radio stations and cable systems provincewide.

References

↑ "Contract loss forces job cuts at CKUA". www.cbc.ca. January 12, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.

External links

EPWS Website at the Government of Alberta

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