Most Support Inclusion of Photos in Wireless Alerts, New York City Says

New York City Emergency Management filed at the FCC a report it commissioned arguing for requiring the capacity to include transmission of photos and other media as part of wireless emergency alerts. The department said it submitted the report at the request of the FCC Public Safety Bureau. The report examines public reaction in the wake of the use of alerts as police searched for Ahmad Rahami, the suspect in the 2016 Chelsea bombing. The vast majority believed it was an "appropriate use of the system (89 percent appropriate) and less than 1 percent unsubscribed from the service following the alert,” the report said. “Although most could not correctly recall what time they received the message by the time our survey was conducted, over a quarter reported receiving the message between 7:30 and 8:30 am (27 percent).” Given limitations of WEAs, the city had to refer people to media reports for a photo of Rahami and 45 percent reported they took this step, the city said. “Those who didn’t said it was because they did not have time, were at work, or believed it was too much work to turn to the media for the picture. The survey shows broad support for updating these messages to include a direct link to view photos of the suspect, as 83 percent believe it would be useful to include such a link in wireless alerts.”