No, the District hadn't raised its terror alert level. The "Code Red" signified that we would be suffering a "heat emergency" in which temperatures would reach the mid-90s. Or as I like to call it, summer.
The email was full of helpful tidbits: emergency cooling shelters would be opened for the city's homeless population; public swimming pools will extend their hours; and residents were encouraged to turn on their air conditioning.
I think the cooling shelters are a fantastic idea, but I don't think they warrant an alert. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think DC's homeless are sitting on their corners with Blackberries. And I'm sorry, but do we really need the government to tell us to turn on our air conditioners when it's 97 degrees outside? I think people who have air conditioners will know instinctively that it might be a good idea to turn them on in mid-July. Just a thought.
I signed up for AlertDC because I think it's a useful tool, and I really would appreciate getting a text and email if the city's attacked by terrorists or a train derails on the Metro. But rarely a day goes by when I don't receive at least one text and/or email alert from AlertDC, and usually the "alerts" aren't warranted. They've become more of a nuisance than a help.
I'm going to stick with AlertDC because it would kind of suck if I cancelled the free service and then got caught unawares if something was going on with Metro, or more importantly, if the city was attacked. But I'm getting a little tired of the Chicken Little "the sky is falling" mentality. Can we save the alerts for things that really deserve an alert?
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