A jarring, ear-splitting emergency alert that startled many metro Detroit residents awake at 6 a.m. Monday was mistakenly sent to cell phones across the region, the Detroit Fire Department acknowledged.
The high-pitched alert was intended only for the immediate area surrounding an early-morning explosion at an apartment building on Littlefield Street near Schoolcraft Road on the city’s west side. But due to human error, the alert was broadcast through a federal system that sent it to a much wider audience, prompting confusion and frustration from residents across the area.
“The alert was supposed to be sent out just to the ZIP code surrounding the incident using Detroit Alerts 365, but an error was made and the person sent the alert erroneously using IPAWS,” DFD spokesperson Corey McIsaac, tells Metro Times, referring to the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. “DFD apologizes for any inconvenience this caused the community.”
Detroit Alerts 365 is the city’s emergency notification system that allows officials to send targeted alerts via text, email, or phone to residents who opt in. IPAWS is a federal platform managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that sends alerts to all wireless devices in a designated area, often used for Amber Alerts and severe weather emergencies.
The explosion occurred around 4 a.m. Monday, about two hours before the alert was sent out. The blast sent flames and debris into the air, prompting an emergency response that included fire crews rescuing residents trapped inside, WDIV reports. Twelve people, including six children, were taken to a hospital for injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to severe burns.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
People living miles from the explosion, including in the suburbs, took to social media to complain about being jolted awake by the emergency tone. Many said they were frightened by the message and initially feared a regional emergency.
“Sorry for that happening but why the fuck did we need an emergency alert for this?” one person tweeted. “Made people worried about nothing that affects them.”
Another sounded off, “The alarm was a dereliction of duty and abuse of the alert system. Anybody who actually lived near the explosion would have… heard it.”
Some even called for the termination of whoever was responsible.
“Someone should be fired immediately for posting that alert, completely useless,” one user wrote.
