Wrong Buttons

In the aftermath of the recent Hawaiian Missile scare, most of the criticism has been directed toward the civil servant who triggered the alert, scaring (and scarring) millions of residents and tourists who believed they were in imminent danger of nuclear annihilation.

Selecting the wrong option from a menu, this government employee sent an entire state into chaos: According to the Washington Post, stores prohibited frantic shoppers from entering, cars were careening at high speeds seeking shelter, and children were sent down manholes.

Molly Loveless, a junior at Orem High, was finishing her Christmas vacation on the Big Island when the alert was sent. “It was surreal at first, everyone around me started to freak out because no one knew what to do.” Believing her life was in danger, Molly continues by saying, “I was crying, and people were stopping their cars on the freeway and running.”

Many are outraged by the panic caused by the false alert, but others suggest the real cause of the problem lies with the faulty design of the alert system. The person who initiated the alert chose the wrong option from a confusing drop down menu.

Wherever the blame lies, this false alarm has had one good consequence: it is causing agencies in Hawaii, and organizations world-wide, to reevaluate and improve their alert systems. According to Hawaii News Now, “Brig. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara, the state’s deputy adjutant general, [will] review the emergency management system and implement improvements.”