On Aug. 17, the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) team worked diligently to assist State Fair Police in alerting fair workers about police activity happening near the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The details of the response and the alert system that played a crucial role in notifying the public are below.
The emergency call
The morning of Aug. 17, State Fair Police asked ECC to send a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) to fair workers on police activity that was occurring outside of the fairgrounds.
Timeline of alerts
- 10:21 a.m. – first alert
The ECC sent the first alert to cellular phone users within the fairgrounds that Canfield Street and Transit Hub gates were closed and to advise avoiding the area south of the fairgrounds near Como Avenue. This alert went out only to cellular phone users who were currently in the affected geographic area (and potentially a little beyond due to how the technology works).
- 11:36 a.m. - follow-up alert
At the request of the State Fair Police, the ECC sent a follow-up “all clear” WEA message. This follow-up alert was intended to go out to cell phone subscribers in the same geographic area used in the first alert. However, the original alert zone was not redrawn before the follow-up was sent, resulting in the message being distributed to all phone subscribers within Ramsey County.
Despite the wider distribution of the second message, everyone who received the initial alert also received the all-clear message.
Ongoing improvements
The WEA system is complex and requires time, training, and hands-on experience to use effectively, especially in high-pressure, fast-paced situations. To support staff readiness, the ECC has recently introduced monthly specialized training sessions for supervisors, providing opportunities to practice in a controlled environment. Additionally, an in-person tabletop exercise is in development to further enhance staff preparedness.