The United Kingdom is ready to introduce its UK Emergency Alert system for public use. The government announced on its website that the first test will take place on April 23 at 3 p.m.
The UK will be joining other countries such as the Netherlands, Canada, United States, and Japan with establishing a warning system in hopes of saving lives and preparing the public for incoming natural disasters.
People in the UK will be introduced to its new Emergence Alert with a notification sent to all 4G and 5G phones. The notification will contain the Emergency Alert headline followed by the following message: “On Sunday 23 April we will be testing our new Emergency alerts system and you’ll get an alert like this on your mobile phone.”
The alert will make it clear that users do not need to take any action. People would need to click “OK” to make the home screen message disappear.
Once the home screen message disappears, a text message would be followed, “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.”
The government also highlighted the fact of how the Emergency Alert would work while phones are on silent. The 10 second vibration would be heard while phones are kept silent and would allow people to get the notification and text message.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Oliver Dowden MP;Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council,Mark Hardingham; and National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Civil Contingencies, Assistant Chief constable Owen Weatherill shared on their thoughts on the government website how people and safety crew would benefit in using the Emergency Alert and how it be useful in saving lifes.
MP “ Getting this system operational with the national test means we have another tool in our toolkit to keep the public safe in life -threatening emergencies,” Dowden stated. “It could be the sound that saves your life.”
Mark Hardingham - “We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe, and we need everyone to play their part.” Hardinham said.
“The national test may be inconvenient for some, but please forgive us for the intrusion, because the next time you hear it -your life, and the life saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it.” Hardinham added that although the 10-second test may be inconvenient for some, it would be beneficial for both the public and emergency services.
“Warning and informing the public at speed during times of crises can be vital. We look forward to further developing the use of the Emergency Alerts capability and how it can have real benefits for the public to protect and preserve life, as well as supporting policing’s wider response to critical incidents with partner agencies,” Weatherill stated. “Alongside partners, we will continue to listen carefully to public feedback and ensure the use of Emergency Alerts has a positive impact.”
The government has advised people who are planning on driving during the test, to go on their settings and switch off notifications to avoid distracted driving.
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