Hawaii false missile alarm

[danv3]

I was in line to check in at Makahiki this morning when the sirens went off and everyone’s phone buzzed with the false missile warning. While there wasn’t really any panic, the cast members were as confused as the guests as to what to do. Seemed like there was no protocol at the resort for how to handle such a threat. They did clear the pools and make everyone come inside though. Other than that people were just kind of milling about looking for information on their phones. Fortunately it turned out to be a false alarm and the restaurant was back open after about 30 minutes.

Quite the story for our last day at the resort!

 

[alohamom]

Oh WOW-I was wondering if any from the Dis was at Aulani and experienced this.

Thank goodness it was a false alarm!

 

[kdonnel]

Seemed like there was no protocol at the resort for how to handle such a threat.

Quite the story for our last day at the resort!

What should the protocol be?

I would have headed to the beach to watch the fireworks. I don’t have any desire to live in a post nuclear war society.

 

[MolonLabe]

First they tell you the you can't opt out of government messages on your phone, then they tell you that you're going to get hit with a ballistic missile.... I'm not sure what I find more disturbing:

-government forcing messages on you that you can't stop.
-government having a "Ballistic missile inbound" button they can just "push accidentally"
-government being so incompetent it takes 38 minutes to issue a folowup "false alarm" text.

Now that the cats out of the bag, will FEMA be issuing instructions on what to do should an actual "ballistic missile inbound" message alert get sent?

 

[Kuzco]

I was in my room when I got the alert on my phone. I looked out my balcony window and saw the pools being evacuated. When I went out into the hall, there were a lot of people asking each other if they received the alert as well. I went to the lobby and was directed outside. No communication as to where from cast, but guests were murmuring that it was to an open field. Cast members were also blocking guests in the lobby from returning to their rooms. Before we got to wherever they were directing us, we were told to turn around and were allowed free roam of the resort again.

It struck me that there was no established protocol for an event
like this. I didn’t hear any announcement made via PA, but left the building fairly quickly after the alert. Guests were asking cast members for clarification and I heard a few simply say “you’ll receive direction when you get there.” It was a little scary being directed outside when the alert said to seek shelter.

 

[adamak]

So if you were in the room and refused to leave, they just let you stay there? Or do they check every room to make sure you get out? Honestly I don't think it makes a difference where you are when an alarm like this happen. There is basically no shelter if the missile were to hit.

I'm more shocked that such message could be send out to the whole state w/o standard protocol (that should involved DC).

 

[HopperFan]

Saw it reported that guests were being directed to a field which was opposite of what the government warnings were saying.

Basically all said to take cover.

The automated TV message said:

“Stay indoors. If you are outdoors, seek immediate shelter in a building. Remain indoors well away from windows. If you are driving, pull safely to the side of the road and seek shelter in a building or lay on the floor. We will announce when the threat has ended.”

 

[Tigger's ally]

I think my choice would have been to hire a boat.

 

[wanderlust7]

Definitely wrong to direct guests to an open field outside. Inside away from windows, basement if possible, the thicker the building material the better. You may have to stay inside for a week, so if I happened to be on the road, think I'd try to go to the nearest grocery store.

If you're where the missile hits, nothing you do will matter. But if you're not, knowing these things will help. Something I hope no one will ever, ever need.

https://lifehacker.com/where-to-hide-if-a-nuclear-bomb-goes-off-in-your-area-1793493053

 

[oceanmarina]

Saw it reported that guests were being directed to a field which was opposite of what the government warnings were saying.

Basically all said to take cover.

The automated TV message said:

“Stay indoors. If you are outdoors, seek immediate shelter in a building. Remain indoors well away from windows. If you are driving, pull safely to the side of the road and seek shelter in a building or lay on the floor. We will announce when the threat has ended.”

Wow, can't believe they were directing people to do this - completely contradicted government safety protocols. Sounds like a confusing mess! Hopefully they will learn from this and establish a clear, CORRECT (in terms of safety) protocol

 

[danv3]

Clearly going to a field is not the right thing to do. At Makahiki there was no instruction at all beyond “the restaurant is closed.” The cast members appeared entirely unprepared for the situation.

 

[happymamma]

How scary! Did anyone talk to a manager or anything about what happened / why they were directing people outside?

 

[Kuzco]

How scary! Did anyone talk to a manager or anything about what happened / why they were directing people outside?

I didn’t, but I am curious after experiencing it if they even had a plan or if it was a last minute call. I’m hopeful that this false alarm will convince them to develop a plan if they don’t have one.

 

[Midoria]

-government forcing messages on you that you can't stop.

You can turn them off. I don't get the alarms anymore.

 

[cgattis]

I didn't post this after our trip, but maybe I should send a note to Aulani now. There was a fire alarm when we were there--not some freakish thing but something that could absolutely be real and they should be prepared for. But they weren't. The alarms seem to go off in sections (not the whole resort, which makes sense), but it was clear that CMs had no idea what was going on in other areas. And the ones in our area just knew to dump us out to Aunties backyard. Kids were still in the club, as evidently that section wasn't under alarm. But they dumped us outside, would NOT answer any questions, and then would not let us back inside once they finally gave us the clear. Just opened some gate and we had to wander back through until we figured out where we were and back to our rooms. This was the the evening, but fortunately we weren't asleep and groggy or we'd have really been confused. It wasn't a big deal, but it really didn't seem like they had a real plan or any/much communication between CMs during this.

 

[LSB]

Sounds like on the day of the false alarm the cast members were following fire drill procedures since that was what they were trained on... they did what was familiar to them?

 

[MolonLabe]

You

You can turn them off. I don't get the alarms anymore.

You can turn off weather alerts and in many states Amber alerts too.

You can NOT turn off messages like these from FEMA and federal agencies. That 'law ' was passed several years ago.

 

[MolonLabe]

Sounds like on the day of the false alarm the cast members were following fire drill procedures since that was what they were trained on... they did what was familiar to them?

I don't think they ever had a plan for a "ballistic missile inbound" text and defaulted to what they did have a plan for. I can't fault the staff for that, most of these procedures are CYA and they don't involve CM's thinking for themselves.

 

[Kuzco]

I don't think they ever had a plan for a "ballistic missile inbound" text and defaulted to what they did have a plan for. I can't fault the staff for that, most of these procedures are CYA and they don't involve CM's thinking for themselves.

I agree. The cast were managing the situation very well under the circumstances. Hopefully Disney uses this as a learning experience to improve the approach for the future (which they will hopefully never have to use).

 

[lorenni]

From what I have been reading, it sounds like a lot of folks were not prepared, had the alert been genuine.

I won’t be cancelling my Aulani travel plans, but I will be packing a few items I might not have packed a few months ago. We do have a “go-box” in our basement (something I started maintaining when we lived in the greater DC area) and I think for some trips to the US from now on we’ll be including a paired down version - a “go backpack” if you will.

And if for some godforsaken reason the alarms go off while we are there I am sure as heck not evacuating to a field.