Two years after it was criticized for not issuing an emergency alert during a 13-hour-long killing spree in Nova Scotia, the RCMP finally has a national Alert Ready policy in place.
The eight-page internal policy came into force on March 1 and was provided to The Canadian Press by the RCMP.
It outlines the circumstances in which a public alert can be used, including active shooter situations, terrorist attacks, riots and natural disasters.
Each commanding officer is supposed to establish a public alert coordinator position and keep statistics on the use of alerts.
According to the policy, members collect information about the incident, who is involved—including a description of the person and vehicle, if there is one—where and when it happened, why the alert is being issued and “the actions that the public is expected to take.”…