If your smartphone buzzes unexpectedly at 1:55 p.m. on May 9, don’t be alarmed. It will be an alarm.
It will be the first test of wireless emergency alerts in British Columbia issued by the national Alert Ready program.
The ability to send those alerts to smartphones and other compatible wireless devices is now live, as mandated last April 6 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The wireless alerts are in addition to those already sent over television and radio broadcasts.
“We need to deploy every tool available to alert people to potential public safety threats,” said Mike Farnworth, B.C.’s minister of public safety and solicitor general. “As technology improves, we are always looking for new ways to broaden our reach and reduce the time it takes to communicate critical safety information. Wireless alerts will help us achieve both of those objectives.”
Initially wireless alerts will only be used for tsunami threats, but the province is considering expanding them to include other hazards and emergencies.
The alerts will contain instructions for a safe response and are broadcast automatically at no cost to wireless users. To receive the alerts, mobile devices must be connected to a cellular network, be alert-compatible and within the area affected by the alert. To check wireless devices for compatibility, got to www.alertready.ca.
For more information about emergency preparedness, go to www.gov.bc.ca/PreparedBC.
