Latest news with #JohnPrice
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Emergency alert: Why millions of New Zealanders' phones will buzz loudly this Sunday, even if on silent!
Millions of New Zealanders will hear a loud buzz on their mobile phones: a nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert ( EMA ) system on Sunday, May 25, between 6 and 7 pm. This annual test is conducted by the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), and it ensures the system's readiness to deliver critical information during emergencies. During the test, if your phone is on, capable of receiving alerts, and within range of a targeted cell tower, you will receive the alert. The alert will override silent or do-not-disturb settings, emitting a loud buzz and displaying a message indicating that it is a test. If you prefer not to be disturbed, you can turn off your phone or switch it to flight mode during the test period. "If you get an alert, you should stop and read the message, and take it seriously," NEMA civil defence emergency management director John Price said. "It will tell you what the emergency is, what to do and where to go for more information. NEMA expects "about 5.5 million phones to go beep on Sunday". Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like OMEA Award for Indian Manufacturers ansoim Learn More Undo Understanding the EMA System The EMA system, which was introduced in 2017, sends alerts to capable mobile phones via cell broadcast technology and, unlike traditional text messages, these alerts are broadcast to all phones within a specific area, without the need for phone numbers or personal data. Live Events This method allows for rapid dissemination of information, even when networks are congested during emergencies "Our system does not have any telephone numbers," Frith confirmed. "Once we've transmitted the message from our portal, it then goes to the cell towers." The alerts are designed to inform the public about serious threats to life, health, or property, such as natural disasters, fires, or public health emergencies. They can also be used for test purposes to ensure the system's functionality Why the test matters The annual test serves multiple purposes: It checks the system's performance Evaluates the reach of cell towers Assess mobile devices' ability to receive alerts. Familiarizes the public with the alert system, so they recognize and respond appropriately during actual emergencies. According to NEMA, previous tests have shown that approximately 90% of mobile phones in New Zealand successfully receive the alerts. However, factors such as being outside the targeted area, having an older phone, or lacking mobile reception can affect alert reception Previous events when EMA system was used About 200 alerts have been sent out since they began, many of them regional ones, NEMA communications manager Anthony Frith said. The EMA system has proven invaluable in real-life situations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide alerts provided timely updates on lockdowns and health guidelines. In April 2024, Auckland residents received multiple alerts during severe storms and a recycling plant fire, helping them stay informed and safe. Local authorities, such as the Grey District Council, have also utilized the system for public health notices. In April 2024, an alert was sent out for a boil water notice due to possible contamination, ensuring residents took immediate action to protect their health. NEMA emphasizes the importance of being prepared and staying informed through multiple channels, including media, official websites, and natural warning signs. As NEMA's Civil Defence Emergency Management Director John Price advises, "If you get an alert, you should stop and read the message, and take it seriously. It will tell you what the emergency is, what to do, and where to go for more information."
RNZ News
24-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Emergency mobile alerts - how they work, why you're getting them
Photo: RNZ Explainer: Brace yourself - your phone will make itself heard on Sunday night. The annual national test of the emergency mobile alert system is scheduled for between 6-7pm. That distinctive buzzing alarm may come as a mild shock to the system, but it can be a matter of life and death, says the National Emergency Management Agency Te Rākau Whakamarumaru. "If you get an alert, you should stop and read the message, and take it seriously," NEMA civil defence emergency management director John Price said. "It will tell you what the emergency is, what to do and where to go for more information." A warning broadcast to your mobile phone, they've been around in New Zealand since 2017. They come with a loud buzz that can usually be heard even if you're on silent mode and a banner notification detailing the emergency. When you hear this, it's time to pay attention. They've been used for everything from tsunami warnings to dangerous fires to thunderstorms. Many other countries use them and they got a particularly good workout in New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic . More recently, in April, Auckland saw several emergency alerts during stormy weather over Easter weekend and a recycling plant fire that sent dangerous smoke soaring over the motu. About 200 alerts have been sent out since they began, many of them regional ones, NEMA communications manager Anthony Frith said. NEMA expects "about 5.5 million phones to go beep on Sunday". The annual test is an important way to make sure the system is working properly all across the country, Firth said. "We're always wanting to have that assurance that the system is working as it should. We need to have assurance that it's going to work for the whole country, if it's needed. "There will be a lot of people in Auckland who say, 'Oh, I just received an alert the other week', but there will be people who haven't received one since the last test." The test will go out to millions of phones on Sunday. Photo: RNZ/ Karoline Tuckey Alerts use cell broadcast technology known as geotargeting to send alerts through cell towers in a selected area - which can be the entire country, as in Sunday's test, or down to a small section of a city. New Zealand's system was provided by Dutch company one2many , which is now a division of Everbridge Public Warning , an American software company that specialises in alert systems. In a description of their technology , Everbridge says "one message can be sent to millions of devices within a target area in seconds". "A really oversimplified way of putting it, it's like a signal that your phone picks up, which is almost like radio," Frith said. When an alert is issued, the agency involved will select how big a region is covered, depending on the specific crisis. "The operator who sends the emergency alert will draw a polygon around that area, a shape they need to make sure is big enough to capture cell phone towers in the perimeter," Frith said. Auckland Emergency Management general manager Adam Maggs said, while targeted messages work well, who gets them varies, depending on a variety of factors. "In terms of one person [in a household] receiving a message and another not, this could be due to being just outside of the geographically targeted area. The boundary for the geotargeted area is not a 'hard' boundary and there can be message leakage, depending on the location of cell towers. "Other reasons include having a phone that may be older or has missed a software update, or the phone may not have had mobile reception." They don't. The system uses the cellphone network as a carrier of the notifications that NEMA or other emergency agencies send out. "Our system does not have any telephone numbers," Frith confirmed. "Once we've transmitted the message from our portal, it then goes to the cell towers." Heavy storms hit Auckland during Easter weekend, triggering some alerts. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel Only certain agencies have the power to send out alerts - NEMA, Civil Defence Emergency Management groups, NZ Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries. Maggs said there was a protocol in place around how the messages were sent. "For civil defence groups (like Auckland Emergency Management), the controller or group manager will make the final call to issue an alert for a hazard or warning that relates to their work. "Similarly, Fire and Emergency or NZ Police could issue an alert about a response that they are leading. We all use the same protocols to assess whether an EMA might be used, with criteria based on certainty, severity and urgency." The timing of emergency alerts during Auckland's Good Friday weekend storms was questioned. NEMA's Frith noted the fast-moving late night Friday thunderstorms were not preceded by a MetService warning. The next day, Saturday, saturated soil and people travelling triggered alerts that day . "We've got really clear protocol for use of the system," he said. "It's really important we don't overuse it, so we can only use it when an event is fairly certain and likely to be pretty severe. "We're not going to be able to issue an alert before every event happens." What appears to have been the first emergency alert sent out in New Zealand was a localised one about a New Plymouth ammonia leak in February 2018 . Then, during the Covid-19 pandemic that began in 2020, the agitated buzz of lockdown or new case announcements on our phones became commonplace. Covid was the first time alerts were used on a national level, Frith said. While we often see weather-related alerts, the alert system has a variety of applications. For instance, on 9 April, Greymouth sent out an emergency alert for a boil water notice, after possible contamination . Grey District Council communication and engagement manager Laura Mills said that call was made by the council's executive leadership team and emergency management staff, in consultation with NEMA. "It had to be determined if the boil water alert met the criteria," she said. "It did and a map was supplied, so phones in the affected area could be 'pinged'. "It definitely got the message out quickly and it helped ensure people took the message seriously." Boiling water may not seem to be the same as a tsunami alert, but it's an important health issue, Frith said, citing a 2016 camplyobacter outbreak in Havelock North that sickened thousands and left four people dead. "If you cast your mind back to what happened in Havelock North in 2016, over 5000 people got sick... so a boil water notice can actually be quite important." The first national emergency alerts were sent during the Covid-19 pandemic during Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's leadership. Photo: POOL / Stuff / Robert Kitchin The alert system generally reaches nine out of 10 phones, Frith said, but while it's an important tool, it's not meant to be the only way people learn about emergencies. "We want to stress that this is really valuable, but often nature is the first warning. "Other channels are really important. The media is the No.1 information channel in emergencies." The alert doesn't replace radio, the internet or the need to act when you see natural warning signs. "If you feel like your life is in danger, don't wait for an official warning or alert - take action and get yourself and your whānau to safety," NEMA's Price warned. "If floodwaters are rising, self-evacuate and move to higher ground. If you are near the coast and an earthquake is long or strong, get gone. "Move immediately to the nearest high ground or as far inland as you can." NEMA also said the annual alert test is a good time to examine emergency plans. The Get Ready website is full of information about how to do this. Frith acknowledged "we'll never get to 100 percent" coverage with the alerts. "There will always be a percentage of the population that don't have phones or don't have smartphones. There's no mass communication channel that will reach absolutely everyone." No. You can't choose not to receive an emergency alert - after all, the point is that it's meant to be used for an emergency. Because it's sent out over cell phone towers, there's no 'list' of names on it to be removed from. If you don't want to be disturbed by Sunday evening's test, you could turn off your phone entirely or switch to airplane mode. The flurry of alerts sent out in Auckland in April saw some backlash on social media. "We often receive feedback from Aucklanders asking to be removed from the EMA system [which is not possible]," Maggs said. "We get just as much feedback thanking us for an alert or update. This will always be the case and we are fine with that. "At the end of the day, our goal is to help Aucklanders stay as safe as possible in times of emergency and we will continue to work hard to ensure that." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- 1News
Emergency mobile alert system test date announced
The latest date for the testing of New Zealand's emergency mobile alert system has been announced. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it will take place on Sunday, May 25 between 6-7pm. Civil Defence Emergency Management director John Price said the nationwide test ensured the system would continue to perform as it should during future events. "If you get an alert you should stop and read the message, and take it seriously. It will tell you what the emergency is, what to do and where to go for more information." Price said it was important to remember that emergency mobile alerts were an additional channel to help keep communities safe and doesn't replace radio, the Internet, or the need to act when people see natural warning signs. "Human instincts are also a powerful alerting system. If you feel like your life is in danger, don't wait for an official warning or alert – take action and get yourself and your whānau to safety. "We want to be clear that no form of technology is completely failsafe and it is important not to rely solely on it in an emergency." Around nine in 10 people were expected to receive the nationwide test alert. For those who did not want to receive the alert, NEMA suggested switching the phone off or putting it on flight mode between 6-7pm on Sunday.
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Roscommon win thrilling Connacht minor final over Mayo
Connacht MFC final: Mayo 1-15 Roscommon 2-14 In a thrilling contest that was lit up by star performances from two outstanding corner forwards, this evening's Connacht minor final was ultimately settled by a goal from Dara Curran after 57 minutes. The goal from the Roscommon captain effectively broke Mayo 's run of three consecutive titles at this level and gave the Rossies their first title since their win over Sligo on Stephen's Day of 2020. Tony Carey of Mayo and Roscommon's John Price, the latter named Man of the Match afterwards, were in sensational form, kicking 1-4 and 1-3 respectively. Carey opened the scoring with a classy finish in the first minute while Price finally got Roscommon going 20 minutes later with his green flag, by which time his side had just 0-2 on the board. In a game where both sides had strong purple patches, Roscommon caught fire in the lead up to half-time to take a 1-7 to 1-4 interval lead. Price was the star of the show up front, with Diarmuid O'Higgins, Tadhg Rogers and Alex Oates helping to establish the away side's dominance in their own half of the field. READ MORE The third quarter saw Mayo take over, and they did this despite suffering the hammer blow of losing both starting midfielders to injury in the minutes either side of the half-time break. Conor Hession dropped out from the full forward line to carry the load in the middle and with Carey running riot inside, they outscored Roscommon by 0-8 to 0-1 up to the 45-minute mark. Another John Price point and a neat finish from an incredibly tight angle from substitute Seamie Carthy got Roscommon back in the game, and they drew level to set up a grandstand finish in the 56th minute through Dean Casey's second long-range free. The key score was Curran's goal a minute later, set up by Sam Hannon's instinctive intercept of a pass across the last line of Mayo defence, and while the home side fired back with points from Dara Flanagan and Rhys Neary, they could not engineer an equaliser and it fell to Casey to round off the scoring. Mayo: T Williams; C Coghill, B Langan, C Tighe; R O'Donnell, D Duffy, D Flanagan (0-2); A Kelly, C May; P Garvey, B Holmes (0-2, 0-1f), C Jordan; T Carey (1-4), C Hession (0-5, 0-2f, 1tpf), O Murphy. Subs: B Joyce for May (29), R Neary (0-1) for Garvey (half-time), Fionn Ó Cinnseala for Kelly (34), Fiachra Ó Cinnseala (0-1) for Murphy (49), P Quinn for Holmes (60). Roscommon: C Trimble; C Fitzgerald, D O'Higgins, J Cassidy; T Rogers, C Tighe, S Hannon; S McGuinness, A Oates; A Killian (0-1), D Curran (1-0), C Feerick (0-1); J Price (1-3), D Casey (0-7, 2tpf, 0-2f), L Shally (0-1). Subs: S Carthy (0-1) for Oates (37), M Shally for L Shally (41), S Hussey for Killian (44), T Fallon for Fitzgerald (47), C Kelly for Feerick (57). Referee: Ronan Hynes (Sligo).
USA Today
26-04-2025
- USA Today
Houston-area restaurant owner charged in explosion at business partner's bar
Houston-area restaurant owner charged in explosion at business partner's bar A Houston restaurant owner has been indicted on three federal charges in connection with an explosion at a popular bar owned by his business partner, federal officials said. A news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston says that 42-year-old Lyndell Price, 27-year-old Armani Williams and 39-year-old John Lee Price were arrested in connection with the 2020 explosion and accused of conspiring to set fire to Bar 5015. Lyndell Price is the former owner of the Turkey Leg Hut and the current owner of the The Oyster Hut. Bar 5015 was owned by Price's business partner, also the former co-owner of the Turkey Leg Hut. The three men face charges of conspiracy to commit arson and arson. If convicted, they could face up to 25 years in prison. Lyndell Price and John Price could face a further five years in prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle. USA TODAY was not able to immediately find an attorneys representing the men. All three appear in court According to KHOU 11, all three men appeared in court on Friday. After hearing the charges against them, they were released pending upcoming court dates. Letitia Quinones-Hollins, John Price's attorney, addressed the charges in comments to local news outlet KPRC. 'This is a classic example of being very mindful of the company you keep,' Quinones-Hollins stated. 'Sometimes, the company you keep can get you into trouble.' She also said that although Lyndell Price and John Price share the same name, they are not related. Quinones-Hollins did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Friday. What happened? Charging documents allege that Price recruited and paid a group of people, including Williams and John Price, to pour gasoline on Bar 5015's entrance ramp and set it on fire. According to the indictment, in the early morning hours of June 12, 2020, Williams and an 'unnamed co-conspirator' bought gasoline, gas cans and face coverings at a truck stop in Houston. They then got to the bar's deck area and doused the deck and entrance ramp before lighting a piece of paper and setting it all on fire, according to the indictment. Investigators say that Williams called Lyndell Price to tell him that the 'arson was complete.' According to local news outlets, the fire led to an explosion at the bar that left a 'debris field and several small fires.' In the same indictment, investigators also allege that Lyndell Price paid John Price and others to set fire to a 1975 Chevy Nova that was stolen from an auto repair shop. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
