These kinds of glitches are more than just technical hiccups—they’re stress tests for whether the system will actually work when it matters. If something like a Roku device is receiving a signal not meant for the public, it suggests there’s a leak in the distribution logic. That’s not harmless, even if it seems like a small error.

Emergency alert systems rely on layered redundancy, but they also depend on trust. Once the public starts seeing odd or false alerts, the instinct to ignore them grows. That’s a serious risk. The line between test and real event has to be clear, and the delivery system should be reliable and intentional, not accidental.

That said, these systems should be tested aggressively. Mistakes during non-critical periods are acceptable if they lead to stronger coordination and better signal distribution. What’s not acceptable is when the same bugs show up year after year without being addressed. Test, yes—but learn and improve with each run.

A lot of the problem stems from how patchwork and outdated some parts of the emergency infrastructure still are. Modern devices like smart TVs, streaming boxes, and phones all receive signals differently, and without a unified broadcast backbone, it’s easy for things to slip. This isn't just a tech issue—it’s a governance and design issue.

For anyone thinking in practical terms at home, there’s a good grassroots approach being discussed here: Earthquake Alert System. It focuses on individual setups that can bypass the mess entirely—local sensors, app triggers, and real-time feedback tools that actually work when needed.