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Regina Public Schools is looking to update its emergency alert system, but in doing so, it may have reached the wrong audience.
On Wednesday, 24,208 numbers received a voice message or a text from the public school division asking them to opt in or out of the system.
But some people without any connection to the school system also received the message. In fact, about 55 people contacted the division to ask why they had received it.
Terry Lazarou, the supervisor of communications for Regina Public Schools, confirmed the message was sent to all of the telephone numbers currently in the division’s directory which have all been provided by parents and students.
“Some of those numbers may include emergency contacts which could be neighbours. It could be friends (or) grandparents who may not know their number has been shared with us,” Lazarou explained.
“Another thing that happens sometimes is if a person has a new telephone or new mobile or home phone number, the record may have not been expunged from our directory so that same old number would then be used.”
Lazarou added it could very well have been that the automated mechanism that sends out the phone calls made an error in dialling, which is rare but does happen.
If residents who have children in a public school didn’t receive the message but want to be in the emergency alert system, Lazarou advised them to go to the school to update their numbers.
Lazarou maintained the numbers are not shared with anyone. The message alert system is simply a push to parents and guardians letting them know of any given issue.
— With files from 980 CJME’s Adriana Christianson
