Tsunami Advisory Emergency Mobile Alerts issued on 30 and 31 July 2025
Stanley Bannerman made this Official Information request to National Emergency Management Agency
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From: Stanley Bannerman
Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I am writing to request information relating to the recent Tsunami Advisory Emergency Mobile Alerts (EMA) issued on 30 and 31 July 2025. I am seeking detailed information on the decision-making process behind the sending of these alerts.
Specifically, I request the following:
1) Decision-Making Meetings and Attendance
a) Was a formal or informal meeting held to decide whether to issue the EMAs?
b) If no meeting was held, what form of communication occurred between decision making parties to issue the EMAs?
c) Please provide:
i) The date and time of any meeting(s) and/or communications
ii) The names and roles of those present or involved (in person or remotely)
iii) Any minutes, notes, briefings, or agendas from these meeting(s)/communications, including records of any decisions made.
2) Authorisation and Approval
a) Who ultimately gave the authorisation or approval to issue the EMAs?
b) Please provide any documentation, including emails, text messages, signal messages, slack messages (or other messaging systems) or internal communications relating to this authorisation.
3) Timing of the Alert
a) Why was the time of approximately 6:30am chosen for the alert on 31 July 2025?
b) Please provide any documentation that informed the decision regarding the timing.
4) Digital Communications
a) Please provide all internal communications (including but not limited to emails, Microsoft Teams messages, Signal chats, or SMS) regarding the decision to issue this EMA.
b) If any messages have been redacted or withheld for privacy or security reasons, please provide the reason for each redaction under the relevant section(s) of the Act.
5) Assessment of Impact and Threshold Criteria
a) What consideration was given to the potential disruption caused by sending the 31 July 2025 alert at 6:30am?
b) What processes or frameworks exist to assess whether an alert’s benefits (e.g. public awareness) outweigh potential downsides (e.g. disruption, desensitisation)?
c) Please provide any relevant internal policies, procedures, criteria, or guidelines used to determine when an EMA should be issued.
6) Alert Fatigue Consideration (“Boy Who Cried Wolf”)
a) What internal or external advice has been received, or studies reviewed or commissioned, regarding the long-term public trust and effectiveness of the EMA system (i.e. avoiding desensitisation through frequent or low-urgency alerts)? Please provide copies of any reports, memos, communications, or research relating to this topic for the alerts issued on 30 and 31 July 2025.
b) What consideration is given to alert fatigue in making the decision to issue an EMA?
If any part of this request requires clarification or refinement to ensure a complete and efficient response, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Stanley Bannerman
From: Information [DPMC]
National Emergency Management Agency
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From: Information [DPMC]
National Emergency Management Agency
[UNCLASSIFIED]
Kia ora,
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA)
received on 31 July 2025, copied below. We will respond to your request
within the statutory timeframes set out in the Act. If we are unable to
meet these timeframes we will notify you.
Your request will be managed by the Ministerial Services team within DPMC.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at
[NEMA request email].
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Ngâ mihi,
Ministerial Coordinator
Ministerial Services
Strategy, Governance and Engagement
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
E [NEMA request email]
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-----Original Message-----
From: Stanley Bannerman <[FOI #31827 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 31 July 2025 9:55 am
To: Information [DPMC] <[NEMA request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Tsunami Advisory Emergency Mobile
Alerts issued on 30 and 31 July 2025
Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I am writing to request
information relating to the recent Tsunami Advisory Emergency Mobile
Alerts (EMA) issued on 30 and 31 July 2025. I am seeking detailed
information on the decision-making process behind the sending of these
alerts.
Specifically, I request the following:
1) Decision-Making Meetings and Attendance
a) Was a formal or informal meeting held to decide whether to issue
the EMAs?
b) If no meeting was held, what form of communication occurred
between decision making parties to issue the EMAs?
c) Please provide:
i) The date and time of any meeting(s) and/or communications
ii) The names and roles of those present or involved (in person or
remotely)
iii) Any minutes, notes, briefings, or agendas from these
meeting(s)/communications, including records of any decisions made.
2) Authorisation and Approval
a) Who ultimately gave the authorisation or approval to issue the
EMAs?
b) Please provide any documentation, including emails, text messages,
signal messages, slack messages (or other messaging systems) or internal
communications relating to this authorisation.
3) Timing of the Alert
a) Why was the time of approximately 6:30am chosen for the alert on
31 July 2025?
b) Please provide any documentation that informed the decision
regarding the timing.
4) Digital Communications
a) Please provide all internal communications (including but not
limited to emails, Microsoft Teams messages, Signal chats, or SMS)
regarding the decision to issue this EMA.
b) If any messages have been redacted or withheld for privacy or
security reasons, please provide the reason for each redaction under the
relevant section(s) of the Act.
5) Assessment of Impact and Threshold Criteria
a) What consideration was given to the potential disruption caused by
sending the 31 July 2025 alert at 6:30am?
b) What processes or frameworks exist to assess whether an alert’s
benefits (e.g. public awareness) outweigh potential downsides (e.g.
disruption, desensitisation)?
c) Please provide any relevant internal policies, procedures,
criteria, or guidelines used to determine when an EMA should be issued.
6) Alert Fatigue Consideration (“Boy Who Cried Wolf”)
a) What internal or external advice has been received, or studies
reviewed or commissioned, regarding the long-term public trust and
effectiveness of the EMA system (i.e. avoiding desensitisation through
frequent or low-urgency alerts)? Please provide copies of any reports,
memos, communications, or research relating to this topic for the alerts
issued on 30 and 31 July 2025.
b) What consideration is given to alert fatigue in making the
decision to issue an EMA?
If any part of this request requires clarification or refinement to ensure
a complete and efficient response, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Stanley Bannerman
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Link: [4]Edit-Time-Data
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Link: [6]colorSchemeMapping
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.
Link: [7]File-List
Link: [8]Edit-Time-Data
Link: [9]themeData
Link: [10]colorSchemeMapping
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained in this email message is for the attention of
the intended recipient only and is not necessarily the official view or
communication of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. If you
are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy or distribute
this message or the information in it. If you have received this message
in error, please destroy the email and notify the sender immediately.
References
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1. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
2. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
3. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
4. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
5. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
6. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
7. file:///tmp/Signature_files/filelist.xml
8. file:///tmp/Signature_files/editdata.mso
9. file:///tmp/Signature_files/themedata.thmx
10. file:///tmp/Signature_files/colorschememapping.xml
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