By Evie Smith-Adams and Simone Limbu
The government has announced that they will be testing their new UK-wide emergency alert system on Sunday, 23 April at 15.00 BST.
Many UK residents are still unaware that this will take place, and it is concerning that despite almost all phone users receiving the alert, there hasn’t been much coverage of it.
Hellen Doherty, 65, was made aware of the upcoming alert from listening to LBC, she fears had she not been listening to the radio she wouldn’t be aware. If it is something important for everybody, I think we should be hearing it more on the news… I don’t see anything, I don’t hear anything it’s not right” she said.
Daniel, Trifon, 32, whilst aware of the upcoming alert had thoughts on how the government has been informing people; “I believe they could invest more money informing the people… I found out from an advert on my phone” he said.
What is the alert?
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office described the new system as a “vital tool to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies”.
The message alert will say: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
It will be accompanied by a loud siren-like sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds even if the device is on silent. The message will be received on 4G and 5G mobile phones.
The alerts will come from the emergency services, government departments and public bodies that deal with emergencies.
Why is this happening?
The alerts are being introduced as a way of informing UK residents of potentially dangerous situations.
Events you may be alerted about include; ‘severe flooding, fires, public health emergencies and extreme weather.
The Labour Party has been campaigning for a warning system for over a decade, with a promise of introducing one being made in 2013.
Domestic abuse victims advised to turn off the alarm
Many domestic abuse charities raised concerns about the danger this alert could pose to those in abusive relationships. The alert could give away the location of hidden devices.
If the phone is put on airplane mode or switched off the alert will not sound, alternatively emergency alerts can be turned off in settings.
The charity Refuge spoke out; “we are advising survivors to opt out of receiving the alerts on their hidden device, you can still receive warning messages on your device that is not hidden.”
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