Premier says fine-tuning needed for alert system after miscommunicated Jasper evacuation timing

Alberta's premier says changes are needed to the province's emergency alert system after incorrect information was shared about the Jasper evacuation on Monday night.

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An emergency alert communication from the province at 10:18 p.m. indicated the wildfire south of the community would reach the town in five hours.

At 11:09 p.m., the following update was posted:

"The fire is NOT expected to reach the community in five hours. The town should be evacuated in five hours."

Danielle Smith said the information came directly from the Town of Jasper, and it is the first time the town had used the system.

"We may need to just have an additional step just to make sure that when information is going out is communicated accurately so that it doesn't cause that kind of panic," she told reporters on Tuesday, adding she was frightened and stressed by the first message.

A screenshot of an Alberta Emergency Alert that was posted as part of the Jasper wildfire evacuation on July 22, 2024. (Source: Alberta Emergency Alerts)

Communications expert Dean Heuman says it's critical that emergency information is vetted and up to date to avoid causing panic.

"There really are a lot of challenges in getting out good information. But vital, clear information is the difference between an orderly evacuation and it could possibly be the difference between life and death," Heuman told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

"A real challenge for all communicators is misinformation and how fast that can multiply."

The mayor of Jasper did not respond to CTV News Edmonton's interview requests.

On Tuesday evening, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency said the Municipality of Jasper would "no longer be updating" its wildfire situation via the alert system. Instead, it said people should refer to the municipality's website, its Facebook page and to local media for more evacuation information.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Chelan Skulski