"It was an evolving and dynamic situation, and the areas that received the message were strategically chosen based on the investigational information we had at the time."
Taking the time to put out thoroughly checked information is crucial not only to public safety, she said, but also to keeping rumours and misinformation from spreading throughout the community.
Gallant said it was encouraging to see that the alert information was being widely shared on social media, because that ensured that "credible and accurate information was circulating."
"That may seem like a small thing, but it went a long way during an incident like this," she said.