COMEDY OF ERRORS WITH ONSTAR TRACKING - User Apologizes For Trouble

(09/30/2008)

By Bob Weaver A recent incident where a satellite alert for help was activated, indicating a Wirt Country user might be in trouble, ended with an "all is well" after emergency responders went to the scene. It turned out to be a sequence of errors that triggered the response to an OnStar alert in the Munday-Brohard area. The alert was triggered when the OnStar user sought to test the system, having called the company to notify them of his test. "I plainly told the lady at OnStar about the test." OnStar failed to acknowledge the callers test, and triggered an emergency response that involved police, ambulance and fire department members from Calhoun and Wirt. The individual told the Herald. "OnStar still has not given me a good explanation as to why this happened," said the man, who was at his hunting camp. "I really wanted to know if it worked in the middle of nowhere," he said, indicating procedures with the test had been followed. The man, who asked not to use his name, said he has apologized to law enforcement and emergency responders "for all the trouble." OnStar also failed to give an ID number to Calhoun's 911 center, which further caused problems in tracking the situation. The OnStar system, however did work, but it did take some time to find the remote location. "I just want to apologize," he said, complimenting the local responders.

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