In Part II of our deep dive into the groundbreaking RAND national alerting study, we go beyond the headline stat that 91% of Americans received the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and uncover the real story: who didn’t—and why it matters.

Host Jeannette Sutton is joined again by RAND researchers Rachel Steratore and Andy Parker to explore critical gaps in emergency alert systems, including:

• Why rural communities are less likely to receive alerts
• How age, device type, and mobile carriers impact delivery
• The surprising truth about opt-out behavior (especially among younger and lower-income users)
• The role of awareness, trust, and alert fatigue in public response
• How disability, language, and accessibility factor into alert effectiveness
• Why “sending the alert” doesn’t guarantee people actually receive—or act on—it

This episode also tackles one of the biggest unanswered questions in emergency communication: Do alerts actually lead to action?

You’ll hear insights on:

• The difference between receiving, understanding, and acting on alerts
• How risk perception (fear vs. familiarity) shapes behavior
• Why education and public awareness are major missing pieces
• The future of alerting across devices (phones, watches, smart tech, and more)
• What the next generation of research must focus on

If you’re an emergency manager, public safety professional, researcher, or just someone curious about how alerts work during real crises—this episode is essential listening.

👉 Watch Part I first for the full context of the RAND study
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