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N.Y. State Government to Interrupt Gaming With Emergency Bulletins

by Warren Riddle on November 20, 2009 at 05:20 PM


The Internet turned the big 4-0 this year, and the commercially available wireless phone celebrated its own quarter-century milestone. After all of that time, it seems that state and national governments are finally ready to accept the crazy notion that both modes of communication can be used to instantly disseminate urgent information during times of strife.

Japan introduced a cell phone earthquake notification system two years ago, an Iowa county recently launched the first 911-via-text service in the U.S., and Israel is currently developing a text-based rocket alert system. New York is now taking a huge leap forward with the announcement of the statewide 'Empire 2.0' program, which seeks to employ technology in creating a more "transparent, participatory, and collaborative" government.

According to Information Week, one of the most ingenious, yet seemingly obvious, aspects of the program is the recently announced Emergency Management Office's plan to release alerts through online gaming networks. The office would transmit the notifications through Xbox Live and the similar networks of Nintendo and PlayStation 3, enabling a generation that listens to very little radio and rarely watches live television to be instantly notified in times of emergency.

With 'Empire 2.0,' New York definitely appears to be distancing itself significantly from the rest of the lagging U.S. pack, so let's hope the other 49 states can wake up and quickly close the technology gap. It is about time, after all. [From: Information Week]

Tags: emergency, Empire 2.0, Empire2.0, government, new york, New York State, NewYork, NewYorkState, top

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