Prepare yourself for an alarming message this Wednesday!
Emergency Management BC is about to roll out the National Public Alerting System (branded as Alert Ready) that will send emergency alerts to mobile phones connected to an LTE network and have the ability to bypass Silent modes.
It will be tried out for the first time on Wednesday, May 9th, 2018, at 1:55 PM, PST, along with the T.V. and radio alerts that were tested back in March. Wireless providers will be testing the system in Ontario and Quebec on May 7th, and all other provinces on May 9th.
The system was developed by federal, provincial, and municipal emergency management officials Environment and Climate Change Canada, The Weather Network, and wireless service providers.
The alert will ring out even if you’re talking on your phone, but it won’t end end the call. Click here to find out if your wireless device can receive this alert.
A long awaited system
According to Chris Duffy, Executive Director of Emergency Management BC, the organization has been working with the provincial and federal government for several years to work out protocols and technical issues before being able to test out this new system.
However not everyone has a cell phone or lives in an area with a strong wireless signal. So, says Chris, subscription to local emergency alert tools and door-to-door alert teams on the ground are still extremely important.
“This last tsunami event was a great reminder for everyone to have an emergency plan and kit in place – don’t put it off, and don’t procrastinate,” stated Duffy, in reference to the tsunami scare in January 2018.
Click here for more information and to hear the Alert Ready tone.
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