Should the RCB Alert inform about the presidential elections?

Communication in an emergency is one of the more important topics covered during sailing, flying or diving. Warnings can save lives, which is why they shouldn't be treated lightly, and even more so shouldn't, by their wording, lead to their being ignored.

What is the RCB system?

The Government Security Centre serves as the national crisis management centre. One of its main tasks is sending warnings via SMS messages (according to CBOS data, as much as 92% of Poland's residents use mobile phones) about threats related to floods, storms, downpours, fires, chemical or radiation contamination, terrorism or epidemics.

How does the RCB Alert work?

On the basis of information gathered from various services, e.g. the fire brigade, the police, the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, the RCB prepares an Alert to be sent out to people located in the area affected by the threat.

Mobile network operators receive the generated message and send it to the given geographical area. The RCB system does not collect data about recipients, and to receive the message you don't have to sign up anywhere.

On the operator's side there's no way to switch off this service. Operators are responsible for the technical sending of the message; they aren't the authors of these communications.

The system is used only in extraordinary situations, when there really is a very high probability of a direct threat to life or health over a significant area.

The RCB Alert informs about voting in the elections

The message sent about the order of casting votes at the polling committees stirred up a lot of controversy. Is this an extraordinary situation in which there's a high probability of a direct threat to life or health over a significant area?

The message was sent on the basis of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 6 July 2020 amending the regulation on the list of personal protective equipment related to combating the COVID-19 epidemic for members of district electoral committees and the detailed rules of sanitary safety in the polling station.

Should the RCB send such a message?

In my opinion, no. This message can erode trust in the whole system. Just as in the fable about the shepherd boy who fooled his fellow tribesmen by lying that a wolf was eating the sheep. Grzegorz Świszcz - Deputy Director of the Government Security Centre - had exactly the same concerns.

We're not going to "clutter anyone's phone". It's very important to us that it doesn't come to a situation where someone reads an SMS with an RCB Alert and says "Another Alert. I'll either delete it or won't even read it."

If after the first round of the elections we don't observe a rise in cases, then before the second round is there an extraordinary situation in which there's a high probability of a direct threat to life or health over a significant area?

When I was taking the SRC, LRC certifications or aeronautical radiocommunication, we were always taught that you shouldn't overuse emergency communication. Just as you don't call the ambulance service over a runny nose.

The Government Security Centre's reply

Good morning,

The SMS was sent in connection with the amendment to the regulation of the Minister of Health of 6 July 2020 on the list of personal protective equipment related to combating the COVID-19 epidemic for members of district electoral committees and the detailed rules of sanitary safety in the polling station and the appeal of the National Electoral Commission, addressed to the organs of public authority and administration, for the widest possible dissemination among voters of information about the change in the rules for handling voters by district electoral committees.

The regulations, important for epidemic safety, came into force shortly before the elections, hence the decision to use the RCB Alert, which is a tool that allows reaching such a wide group of recipients quickly.

We apologise for the delay in providing a reply.

With respect

Information Policy Division

Analysis and Response Office

Government Security Centre

ul. Rakowiecka 2a, 00-993 Warsaw