The PC opposition is flagging concerns over the effectiveness of the province’s Alert Ready system following an incident Tuesday night near Terra Nova.

Police issued public cautions through news agencies and on social media after shots were reportedly fired near the community. RCMP say a request was submitted through the provincial department for an Alert Ready notice to be issued, but the suspect was taken into custody before the notice was deployed.

Terra Nova MHA Lloyd Parrott offered thanks to first responders who were called into a dangerous situation, but says the lack of an emergency alert through provincial channels is alarming.

With about an hour between first notification of the incident and word of an arrest, he says a lot can happen in that time. With poor cell service in the area, he says there’s also no guarantee that residents would have received the alert.

Parrott is calling for an explanation from the minister on what action will be taken to ensure that the system works.