Don’t be alarmed when you get the notification, Victoria!
BC’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness has announced that there will be an emergency test alert coming to cellphones, TV and radio next week.
As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, the alert will be issued at 10:55 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8th.
It will go through to all compatible cellphones, and will interrupt radio and television broadcasts to assess the system’s readiness in case of an actual emergency.
In 2022, BC expanded the use of the emergency alert system beyond tsunami warnings to include other threats such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat.
Additionally, police issue alerts for Amber Alerts and civil emergencies, and the federal government also issues alerts related to federal responsibilities and hazards—including tornados, thunderstorms, storm surges and hurricanes.
This year, Natural Resources Canada will launch the Canada Earthquake Early Warning system, which will include sending out emergency alerts.
This system detects earthquakes and can provide crucial seconds of warning before any strong shaking begins.
In order to receive these alerts, cellphones have to be connected to an LTE network, it must be turned on and cannot be set to ‘do not disturb’ or ‘airplane mode’ to be alert-compatible.
