RCMP not worried about Amber Alert phone notification delays

Despite a three-hour delay in phone notifications during an Amber Alert on Sunday evening, Saskatchewan RCMP aren’t concerned about the National Public Alerting System (NPAS).

Concerns were raised by the public after an Amber Alert was issued by RCMP at 7:31 p.m. on Sunday in the search for a missing six-year-old girl, but phones didn’t alarm until three hours later.

The provincial government and Pelmorex, the company that operates NPAS, blamed a “text issue” in the initial alert requested by police.

“It’s not really concerning at this point,” RCMP Cpl. Rob King told 650 CKOM.

“It’s new technology, so you have to assume there will be some bleeps with it.”

He noted alerts went out right away through radio, television and social media — and O’Keeffe was found safe in the end.

“(Phone notifications) are just one aspect of getting the word out to the public,” he said.

“The word got out in a rather speedy, timely manner.”

King said the RCMP are working with Pelmorex to ensure the issue doesn’t happen in the future.