Emergency
alerts
!
I have just discovered, quite by chance, that the (UK) Government will be conducting a nationwide testing of the Emergency Alerts system at 3.00 pm on Sunday 7th September. The alert system is used to inform of life-threatening emergencies, like wildfires, severe flooding or extreme weather.
From Gov.UK:
The government does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert’.
The alarm will sound on mobile ‘phones or tablets, even if such devices are set to silent. It lasts for about ten seconds and takes the form of a loud siren sound, a vibration or spoken word. It includes a telephone number or a link to a government website for more information.
I seem to recall that the last time the alert system was tested it was something of a damp squib and could easily have passed unnoticed.
If people don’t have compatible devices, ‘you’ll still be informed about an emergency. The emergency services have other ways to warn you when there is a threat to life.’
That led me to wonder how ‘the authorities’ would know who would not be able to receive alerts and what methods would be employed to ensure that they were informed. Door to door visits by volunteers, perhaps, or a candle in the window? Church bells tolling or emergency service sirens wailing?
It reminds me of circumstances a few years ago when schools were not being opened because of poor weather. I enquired how we would know the latest developments and was told, ‘Local radio announcements.’ ‘I don’t listen to local radio,’ said I. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to locate local station on my radio. The reaction was one of disbelief. How was it possible to exist without constant attention to the local radio station?
Anyway, we all survived. I await Sunday’s trial with interest and have informed all my family of what to expect.
Thanks for the heads up Janice. I suspect that the emergency alert will pass me by as I do not have a mobile phone. The "system" happily assumes that everybody possesses a smartphone.
ReplyDeleteI do dislike the assumptions people make, as if we're all made the same and live in the same way.
DeleteThose alerts can be quite jarring. We’ve had them in the middle of the night, usually for an abducted child. The only alert that I used to need was the school buses not running, but we don’t babysit anymore. I still check the bus website on a stormy day for some reason.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, an alert for an abducted child would be most unsettling, particularly if no further updates were issued.
DeleteWe used to get those as fire or flood alerts in Greece. It scares the daylights out of you when your phone starts making like a siren. They use them in NZ for earthquake and Tsunami (although a bit after the fact for the earthquake that shook us last Saturday night. 4.6 epicenter about 30 km away. It knocked a few things off shelves but was a single jolt here rather than a rolling wave. The siren a few hours later was, to use your phrase, a damp squib.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the technology is not quite up to date! Learning that there's a tsunami after your house has been swept away would feel like a universal slap in the face.
DeleteI will probably have already forgotten about it by Sunday 3pm, in spite of all the reminders including yours. Last time we never received the alarm. I suppose that proved the point of testing it....🫢
ReplyDeleteI can't wait . . . 🤣😂
DeleteWe have the old war siren for flooding and it is tested regularly to see that it works. Funnily enough I think flooding would probably be welcomed at this drought stricken time.
ReplyDeleteThe Broadmoor sirens were decommissioned years ago. People used to set their watches by them.
DeleteI would also wonder how the authorities’ will know who wasn't able to receive alerts and what methods would be employed to ensure that they were informed.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we'll never know!
DeleteYou beat me to it! I was going to warn everyone on my Saturday post! I got a text message on my phone to tell me. I guess they don't need phone numbers - probably all done by bots or AI or some other secret government thing that we don't know about! or not. The alarm didn't get to me last time, I think my phone was indoors and I wasn't.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't miss much.
DeleteI was in a cafe with my sister and her husband during a visit across there when the previous test happened. It was quite disconcerting when everyone's 'phones emitted a shrill shriek all at once.
ReplyDeleteIt would be more effective in a crowded place, and actually quite startling. Way to create pandemonium!
DeleteI also wonder how will they know if everyone hears the alert and what would happen if they didn't?
ReplyDeleteWe don't know what we don't know!
DeleteWe hear alerts from Portsmouth naval base often if we are outside, this is going to be very different.
ReplyDeleteRadiation alerts?
DeleteAnd the old persons who live alone without tablets and mobile phone ? I am the only one who has a computer, tablet and mobile. The other residents have an antique mobile or none and sometimes a tablet but they only can use it to call or receive calls from their families. We are warned through TV, radio and people in shops or on the street. Often it is false alarm. Once we had a storm and two of our birch trees fell on the street ! I wonder how you manage to write a post every day ? Long time you didn't blog at all and now I can't follow ! (lol)
ReplyDeleteThere is an assumption that 'someone' will inform those who have no means of knowing. I'm sure some slip through the net.
DeleteI know I went through a long period of not blogging much - catching up now!
Say like your local BBC radio station, our ABC local radio station is well known, and signs on major roads tell you in case of emergencies as you described, tune in to 774 on an AM radio. The signs are old, and of course now it could be digital, FM and via an app.
ReplyDeleteNo system is perfect, I suppose.
DeleteInteresting. If it weren't for my cell phone I don't know if I would find out about emergencies. I don't listen to local radio or tv.
ReplyDeleteIgnorance can be bliss . . .
DeleteThank you, I think that I would have missed this if you hadn't posted.
ReplyDeletePeople don't watch tv or listen to the radio the same way as they once did. I watch it erratically for things like the Great British Sewing Bee and the football, but the men in my life barely bother at all. We don't have the radio on much either. If I didn't enjoy following the weather, I wonder if we'd get any update at all about upcoming events!
We don't watch much live television. We watch recorded things, so never know whether it's Christmas or Easter.
DeleteI almost never listen to the radio. I have several devices that would receive such emergency warnings. A year or two ago we had a similar nationwide test but I think it was confined to electronic devices - phones, TVs. No sirens.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if we don't know we can't panic . . . Is that a good thing? Probably!
DeleteI found the last Alert Test slightly disconcerting, feels laden with doom but then I'm a pessimist 😆
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
At least you were aware of it! 😜
DeleteWe have these phone alerts. The last time mine went off I was in a grocery shop and everyone's phone started sounding the alarm. It's a good alert, loud and ear piercing. So far ours have been for high winds and possible flooding
ReplyDeleteIt used to be church bells here and they'll be rung in the case of an isolated local danger. A fire in the middle of town. It's an alert and a call for volunteers
DeleteIt's good to know that they're effective.
DeleteWe get those on our phones every so often and if you don't know ahead of time it's a very disconcerting sound.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't receive a genuine alert ahead of time, so the fact that a practice alert makes you jump is good, though it may not seem so.
ReplyDeleteYes, we get these severe weather alerts from time to time. If it is only a WATCH for something, it does not make a SOUND. However if it is a warning (such as tornado) it will make a loud sound. Even if I have silenced my phoe, these WARNINGS will come through. As some other person mentioned, very occasionally we get a warning for an abducted child. Periodically on our television as well, they will interrupt programming to test the warning system!
ReplyDeleteIn areas where natural disasters can strike suddenly, it's wise to have warning systems in place.
DeleteVery good
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteHopefully . . .
DeleteI wouldn't have known about it except for the fact that we travel up and down the motorway numerous times each week and it's on some of the illuminated message boards. There's been nothing on the television.
ReplyDeleteThere was a warning from one council down south that was shared on Facebook, to anyone that has an emergency secret phone (abused women etc) telling them what to do to cancel out the sound of the alert.
It's awful to contemplate the frightening lives some people are forced to live.
DeleteThis reminds of the old western movies when the town was alerted of dangers by the ringing of the church bells. We would be in big time trouble if everyone depended on the church bells rings these days. Churches rarely have the bells. Be sure to give us an update on how it works for you guys after Sunday's trial.
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose it will be very remarkable - I'll let you know!
DeleteI've had "serious alerts" scare the bee-geebers outa me before. So I found the way to turn them off and no longer get ones from the President with stupid stuff or tornado warnings that are no where near me. I've survived this long with out warnings, I'll just go my merry way, lol.
ReplyDeleteGood for you. A way to preserve your sanity . . .
DeleteThe radio stations have monthly tests of the emergency alert systems, but not everyone has a radio on. I've also noticed that some of the tornado alarm systems have the ability to broadcast a short pre-recorded announcement (which says the alarm was a test). I wonder if that could be turned into a different message if it was an actual emergency.
ReplyDeleteIt would be prefaced with something like, 'This is not a drill. This is not a drill.'
DeleteIn Sweden we still have local outdoors sirens for serious danger (meaning to go indoors and shut doors and windows and ventilation), they test them every three months or so, always on the same day of the week and time of day. I also get messages on my smartphone about fires and traffic accidents near me but not that loud...
ReplyDeleteI think we're way behind in the alerting stakes.
DeleteIt's been a while since we had any such alerts here, as well. All of which just brings the question, when was our last hurricane? I think we are overdue...
ReplyDeleteNot a pleasant prospect, I'm sure.
DeleteOur emergency alert system in the US was tested 2 years ago. Every phone, tablet, tv and radio got it.
ReplyDeleteWith your weather systems, I would have thought you'd have more alerts.
DeleteRelatable. I have never joined Facebook and yet our local government primarily uses it to announce important information. Someone usually lets me know.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lazy assumption that everyone will be able to access information through a particular medium.
DeleteYes, the family have been talking about this recently ... let's wait and see what happens on Sunday!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
I wonder if we will all hear it?
ReplyDeleteWe get alerts every now and again but nothing other than testing of the system.
ReplyDeleteSo quiet and unremarkable is my life that I'm actually looking forward to Sunday's alert! 😂🤣
ReplyDeleteIf the weather is good, I shall be in the garden and most likely my phone will be inside on the kitchen table. Someone in the family will probably hear it though.
ReplyDeleteAny minute now . . . (SUnday afternoon!)
DeleteHi Janice - I mentioned this in a comment I made to a later post of yours ... I'm sure I heard it last time, but ne-er mind ... I shan't react, just notice - except I'd have thought it shouldn't be at 3.00 pm ... when people will be out and about - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI wonder who decides on the timing of these things?
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