Hawaii missile alert: How one employee ‘pushed the wrong button’ and caused a wave of panic

catbountry:

pennsylvanian-patriot:

association-of-free-people:

afloweroutofstone:

disexplications:

disexplications:

Around 8:05 a.m., the Hawaii emergency employee initiated the internal test, according to a timeline released by the state. From a drop-down menu on a computer program, he saw two options: “Test missile alert” and “Missile alert.” He was supposed to choose the former; as much of the world now knows, he chose the latter, an initiation of a real-life missile alert.

“In this case, the operator selected the wrong menu option,” HEMA spokesman Richard Rapoza told The Washington Post on Sunday.

So if your hand slips, you send a warning of impending death to over a million people.

This is what the screen actually looks like:

The operator was supposed to click “DRILL – PACOM (CDW) –  STATE ONLY” and instead clicked “PACOM (CDW) –  STATE ONLY”.

No way

Why should you trust the government again? They’re spending billions and running something like MSDOS with a 1987 interface to generate ballistic missile warnings.

Don’t forget this

Whoopsie.

Hawaii missile alert: How one employee ‘pushed the wrong button’ and caused a wave of panic