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INSIDE CHAPTER 1
Alerts, Warnings, and Warning Fatigue
Since 2012, Wireless Emergency Alerts have captured the attention of millions. Sometimes that attention has been unwanted, because real-world alerts were false, incomplete, irrelevant, or filled with jargon, adding to concerns about alert fatigue.
Chapter 1 walks through six real alerts, what went wrong, and the lessons each one holds for your own messages.
AFTER THIS CHAPTER, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO
Identify
Key features that contribute to over-alerting and alert fatigue.
Understand
How content, timing, and geographical scale contribute to organizational trust.
Articulate
Strategies you can apply to your own message practices to reduce alert fatigue.
SIX REAL ALERTS, SIX LESSONS
01
HAWAII FALSE ALERT
A drill message sent to the public by mistake.
02
UTAH AMBER ALERT: “GRY TOYT”
Police shorthand with almost no useful information.
03
WILDFIRE EVACUATION JARGON
“Level 3 (GO)” means little without public education.
04
LA COUNTY ALERT GLITCH
A warning resent for 24 hours with no time or location.
05
MISSING PERSON IN ALL CAPS
Dispatch codes and capitals that are hard to read.
06
TEXAS BLUE ALERT
A statewide alert at 4:50am that drew 4,600+ complaints.
READ THE FULL
CHAPTER FREE
All six case studies, the latest research on warning fatigue, and questions to apply to your own templates.
Selected publications
2026
Sutton, J., Walpole, H., Olson, M., Cain, L. B., & Wood, M. M. (2026). Content Mapping: An Experimental Analysis of Missing Message Content. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 34(3), e70213.
2025
Sutton, J., & Wood, M. M. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 33(3), e70076.
2019
Sutton, J., & Kuligowski, E. D. Natural Hazards Review, 20.