Vern Miyagi, Administrator, HEMA, left, and Hawaii Gov. David Ige addressed the media Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, during a press conference at the Hawaii Emergency Management Center at Diamond Head Saturday following the false alarm issued of a missile launch on Hawaii. A push alert that warned of an incoming ballistic missile to Hawaii and sent residents into a full-blown panic was a mistake, state emergency officials said.
Vern Miyagi, Administrator, HEMA, left, and Hawaii Gov. David Ige addressed the media Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, during a press conference at the Hawaii Emergency Management Center at Diamond Head Saturday following the false alarm issued of a missile launch on Hawaii. A push alert that warned of an incoming ballistic missile to Hawaii and sent residents into a full-blown panic was a mistake, state emergency officials said. The Star-Advertiser via AP George F. Lee
Vern Miyagi, Administrator, HEMA, left, and Hawaii Gov. David Ige addressed the media Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, during a press conference at the Hawaii Emergency Management Center at Diamond Head Saturday following the false alarm issued of a missile launch on Hawaii. A push alert that warned of an incoming ballistic missile to Hawaii and sent residents into a full-blown panic was a mistake, state emergency officials said. The Star-Advertiser via AP George F. Lee

National

The Latest: Homeland Security: People should trust alerts

The Associated Press

January 14, 2018 09:58 AM

HONOLULU

The Latest on a missile threat mistakenly sent by Hawaii officials (all times local):

5 a.m.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen says people should trust government alert systems and the recent blunder in Hawaii was just a "very unfortunate mistake."

Nielsen spoke on "Fox News Sunday" on Sunday morning about the emergency alert warning of an imminent missile strike that sounded on hundreds of thousands of cellphones Saturday morning. A second alert saying there was no missile didn't come for nearly 40 minutes.

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Nielsen said she would hate for anybody not to abide by government warnings. She said the alerts are vital and doesn't want anyone to "draw the wrong conclusion."

Hawaii's emergency management agency's administrator said he took responsibility for the mistake.

The state adjutant general said a written report would be prepared. State lawmakers announced they would hold a hearing next Friday.

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8 p.m.

Hawaii residents were left shaken by the second recent blunder in Hawaii's planning for a possible North Korean nuclear attack.

An emergency alert warning of an imminent missile strike sounded on hundreds of thousands of cellphones. A second alert saying there was no missile didn't come for nearly 40 minutes.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's administrator, Vern Miyagi, said he took responsibility for the mistake. The state also had problems last month when it reintroduced the Cold War-era warning siren tests.

The state adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Joe Logan, said a written report would be prepared. State lawmakers announced they would hold a hearing next Friday.

Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki said the system Hawaii residents have been told to rely on failed miserably.

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