This is a drill. Repeat. This is a drill.
Let’s hope that people who have their radios and televisions on at 1:55 on Wednesday afternoon are better listeners than the emergency management employee in Hawaii who mistakenly sent out an alert in January that their world was about to come to an end.
On March 21, Emergency Management B.C. is taking part in a Canada-wide test of its emergency alert system.
The alert will be broadcast on major television and radio stations at 1:55 p.m.. A woman’s voice — it sounds a bit like the automated voice you hear when you’ve dialled a number that’s not in service — will tell you it’s a test.
“If this had been an actual emergency or threat, you would now hear instructions that would assist you to protect you and your family,” the message will say. “This is only a test. No action is required.”
There will not be automated messages on cellphones. Testing of wireless alerts, along with television and radio, is at 1:55 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9.
There are three other alerts, for television and radio only, planned for the same time on June 20, Sept. 19 and Dec. 19.
The test is part of a system called Alert Ready. The province says the system will be used only during large-scale disasters or emergencies where loss of life is imminent and possible.
In B.C., the system will initially only be used to alert people to a potential tsunami. “Additional testing will be scheduled as the system is expanded to include other types of hazards,” says Emergency Management B.C.
Starting April 6, the CRTC is directing wireless service providers to implement wireless public alerting capability on their LTE networks.
To receive these emergency alerts your device must be:
• A smartphone that is able to use the LTE (or 4G) network for high-speed wireless communication;
• Wireless Public Alerting compatible;
• Connected to an LTE cellular network at the time the emergency alert is issued; and
• Within the emergency alert area.
Go to Alert Ready to see if your phone is compatible.
