Some concern has been expressed in the community as to why an Alberta Emergency Alert wasn't issued for a shelter-in-place ordered by the RCMP for the Bow Ridge neighbourhood earlier today.

Tonight, Stacey Loe, Cochrane executive director of Protective and Community Services, explained to town council a communication breakdown prevented the issuing of an emergency alert.

It's the second shelter-in-place issued in less than a month in Cochrane, and the first in many years the town has had to navigate.

One was issued on Aug. 17 for the Sunset Ridge neighbourhood.

"We did identify that that should have been pushed out through the Alberta Emergency Alerts. With today's shelter-in-place, however, unfortunately, there was a delay. There was a breakdown on the RCMP side on communicating that shelter-in-place directly to the Town of Cochrane."

She says the town was in the process of issuing an emergency alert when they were advised it was being stepped down.

RCMP, however, did alert media of the shelter-in-place and posted it on their social media.

Loe said most, if not all, people receive emergency alerts on their phones.

"Going forward, the residents of Cochrane can be assured that we will continue to look at those processes, systems, and notification process that we receive from the RCMP as well as confirm where the responsibility lies with issuing that notification out to through Alberta Emergency Alert, whether that responsibility is with the RCMP or with the Town of Cochrane."

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