This is just a test.
That’ll be the message to British Columbians on Wednesday, May 6 at 1:55 p.m. (Pacific time) as part of a test of the B.C. Emergency Alert system for Emergency Preparedness Week.
The test alert will be sent to all compatible cellphones and will also interrupt radio and TV broadcasts.
The message will read: “This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”
B.C.’s Emergency Management Ministry says to receive alerts, cellphones must be: turned on, connected to an LTE cellular network, not set to “Do not disturb” or airplane mode, wireless public alerting compatible and within the alert area and have up-to-date cellular software.
It is part of a test of the National Public Alerting System. The system is tested twice a year.
The ministry says the testing improves public awareness about B.C.’s emergency alerting system, provides people with an example of what to expect in the event of an emergency, and provides an opportunity to adjust the system before any real emergency.
Official alerts can be issued by the provincial government for emergency situations including wildfires, floods, landslides, tsunamis and extreme-heat emergencies.
Environment Canada is responsible for issuing alerts for tornadoes, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and storm surges. Meanwhile, Natural Resources Canada, through the Earthquake Early Warning system, can issue automatic alerts for earthquakes when thresholds are met.