I saw the feed alert with 26,000 listeners. IMHO alerts shouldn't be posted as an active shooter just on a "shots fired" dispatch, but only after a confirmation of an active shooter by units on the scene. Some feed providers will do anything to raise their listener counts, hoping to get rewards.
The feed alert stated active shooter at first but was updated. In addition to being a former LEO/FF/EMT I have been a supervisor with paging and alert services. My point is you don't alert on an incident/dispatch until it has been confirmed.The feed provider actually had to post that it was a false alarm (I didn't see them post anything about a shooter before that). U of M sent out tweets saying there was an active shooter and (I'm guessing) most of those 26,000 listeners were students/staff, or people who saw the story on the news.
The feed alert stated active shooter at first but was updated. In addition to being a former LEO/FF/EMT I have been a supervisor with paging and alert services. My point is you don't alert on an incident/dispatch until it has been confirmed.
My wife texted me, asking about it, due to phones of UM staff going off. (She was just few miles from the Diag.)The feed provider actually had to post that it was a false alarm (I didn't see them post anything about a shooter before that). U of M sent out tweets saying there was an active shooter and (I'm guessing) most of those 26,000 listeners were students/staff, or people who saw the story on the news.
No need to apologize, no way of telling at the time. I've been in that situation, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Had it been real you possibly could have helped save lives.