Herriman officials review emergency-notification gaps after multi-jurisdiction incident

Herriman City Council members and city public-safety staff reviewed a recent multi-jurisdiction incident and outlined steps to tighten emergency-notification procedures, after an initial evacuation alert reached a much larger area than intended and went out under the city’s name though the city did not initiate it.

Staff told the council that the first broad push notification used a cell-tower-based federal system (IPAWS/iPAWS) that can override phone privacy settings and reach devices connected to a tower. "Those first notices went out, under our name, but we did not initiate those," a city speaker said, and staff said they are working with their vendor to clarify who pushes those alerts and how the message is labeled.

Why it matters: city officials said residents expect immediate, precise information during fast-moving incidents, but multiple technical and procedural limits—jurisdictional complexity, tower-based broadcasts, and opt-in requirements for cell-number reverse-911 systems—can leave people confused or without clear instructions. Staff…