Reeve demands better warning system as Alonsa rebuilds from tornado

Governments must treat cellphone service as a matter of public safety, says a proponent of better communications services whose home was destrpued ina wildfire.

Jim Swidersky, reeve of the municipality of Stuartburn, is sympathetic to Alonsaresidents decrying paltrycellphone service after they got no warning as a tornadohurtled towardtheir community last week, claiming a life,destroying homes and toppling campers.

"Wealways talk about cellphone service and being connected, but we always seem to take the public safety factor out of it,"Swiderskytold CBC Manitoba's Information Radio. "Wehave to be serious about it, sit down at the table and say, 'Hey, thiscan save lives.'"

Swidersky, who resides in an area of southeastern Manitoba with spotty cellphone service, believes inadequate communications puts lives at risk.

He experienced wildfires in his municipality in 2012 where the emergency communications system was overwhelmed and cellular service nonexistent. The only way to communicate wasyelling across the street to make sure each home in the community of Vita was evacuated, he said.

Since then, Stuartburnhas faced more brushes with disaster, including an April wildfirethat consumedSwidersky'shouse.

He says the provincial and federal government mustprioritizecommunications at times of tragedy.

"I havenothingwrong with funds going toward theinternet, but let's get something out for cellphone technology. Let's use this public safety factor out there."

Emergency sirens

He knows it's expensive, butSwiderskybelieves an emergency warning siren, which already blares in communities including Altona,KillarneyandMinnedosa, might be an appropriate system.

Otherwise, persuading the telecommunication giants to boost servicewill be difficult, he concedes, because they don't see much revenue in areas where they havefew customers.

Swiderskysays he understands the frustration felt inAlonsaafter peopledid not receive an emergency tornado warning issued by cellphone push alerts.

Many residents have had little to no cell serviceafter Bell MTSupgraded itscell towers near Amaranth and Ebb and Flow, Man., in early June including Jack Furrie, the 77-year-old farmer killed by the tornado's 800-metre-wide path of destruction on Aug. 3.

"When you don't have cellphoneservice, I feel for them,"Swiderskysaid. "In this day and age, everyone is connected."

As someone who's acutely experienced tragedy from a natural disaster,Swiderskysayssurviving Alonsaresidents should keep their heads up.

"A lot of stuff was lost, some keepsakes I'm sure they lost, but number onethey're here today," he said. "As time goes by, they'll heal and they'll be back in a new home again."