Alert Fatigue: The Sequel

Public Notice: Repeated Alerts During System Test

If your phone buzzed like it had a mind of its own this morning—you’re not alone.During Clinton County’s Winter Storm Planning Meeting, Emergency Management staff were testing a new keyword-based text alert feature designed to make it faster for authorized officials (like Sheriff’s Office representatives) to issue snow emergency updates directly from the field.

Unfortunately, the system decided to show off its enthusiasm—by sending the same message over and over.Once the problem was spotted, the EMA immediately contacted the system vendor, InspironLogistics, and disabled the alert to stop the repeats.

According to the vendor, a software limiter has now been added to prevent this from happening again. The fix ensures no alert can be sent more than once within a 30-minute window. A similar hiccup occurred during a test last year, and EMA is awaiting confirmation that this issue is permanently resolved.

We understand the repeated messages caused some frustration (and probably a few colorful reactions). Technology usually makes life easier—until it doesn’t. That’s exactly why we test: to find these bugs before a real emergency ever happens.

About Weather Alert Subscriptions

Some subscribers may notice receiving multiple notifications for the same weather event. This isn’t a glitch—it’s overlap.Users who subscribe to several alert lists (for example, 24/7 Severe Weather Warnings, 24/7 Watches, and All County Severe Weather Warnings) may get duplicates when a Tornado Warning triggers all categories at once.

EMA is reviewing alert profiles to simplify delivery and cut down on unnecessary repeats. If you think you’re getting more messages than you should, call us at (937) 382-6673, and we’ll fine-tune your settings right away.