Federal Emergence Management Agency’s Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS) is vital to the safety of the American people, despite being highly flawed in its current state.

The issues with IPAWS are threefold. The alert system is deceptive in its presentation, includes vaguely written regulations surrounding its use and lacks respect for individual liberty.

The “Presidential Alert” sent Oct. 3 wasn’t written by President Trump, according to a statement from a senior FEMA official during an Oct. 2 conference call. 

By calling an emergency alert a “Presidential Alert,” there is an implication that the messages come directly from the president. This is inaccurate and can be seen as egotistical since it implies credit where none is due.

Secondly, the scenarios in which it is appropriate to use the alert system aren’t as clear as they should be. The goal of IPAWS is “to provide timely and effective warnings regarding natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters or threats to public safety,” according to the IPAWS Modernization Act of 2015.

The legislation also prohibits the usage of the Alert System for any unrelated uses.

However, the act doesn’t attempt to define these circumstances. This vagueness leaves acceptable uses open for debate, as well as makes its potential for abuse more probable.

The Trump administration is a prime example, in which the president habitually uses Twitter to inform the nation on serious topics like gun control and how “the best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill,” according to Trump’s May 5, 2016, Twitter feed.

RELATED: Safety Bulletins need to be sent out more often to make students feel safer

Lastly, the “Presidential Alert” disregards the personal liberties of individuals. The idea that the government can hijack people’s private property and force them to listen to messages approved by the state seems to be a staple in every dystopian novel.

Possible improvements to the current system would include renaming the “Presidential Alert” to a more accurate “Emergency Alert,” as to not give citizens the impression alerts will always be written by President Trump.

Another improvement would be accurately defining scenarios in which IPAWS can be used to eliminate confusion when appropriately issuing alerts.

Finally, there should be a way for people adamantly opposed to government-mandated messages to opt out of alerts, while being clearly informed of the risks.