Hawaii Employee Who Transmitted False Emergency Alert Not Cooperating With Investigation

There’s no cooperation from the employee of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency who had sent a false incoming ballistic missile earlier in January to the Federal Communications Commission investigation, reveals chief of FCC’s public safety and homeland security bureau, Lisa Fowlkes.

During a hearing with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation the chief said she was disappointed as the person who transmitted the alert mistakenly has refused to cooperate with their investigation.

Waves of panic were sent on January 13 after an employee of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency transmitted a false alert about an incoming ballistic missile across millions of mobile phones.

The false alert message read, “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii, seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”

Correction to the mistake took 38 long minutes for the authorities to send a follow up message that the emergency alert was false.

Beside non-cooperation the chief added progress has been made in the investigation and the officials have begun to change the procedures to avoid any such future mistakes.

Fowlkes added, “The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency tells us that is working with its vendor to integrate additional technical safeguards into its alert origination software, and has changed its protocols to require two individuals to sign off on the transmission of tests and live alerts.”