Millions of Britons will receive a siren-like alarm on their phones as the government tests an emergency system that could warn the public of extreme weather conditions and terrorist attacks.
- The siren-shaped alarm will sound for ten seconds on Sunday, April 23.
- His system is intended to be used to warn people of risks to life.
An emergency alert system to alert people to life-threatening events such as floods and forest fires will be tested next month, the ministers said.
The siren-like alarm will sound for ten seconds to warn people of the danger to life on Sunday, April 23.
The system, modeled on similar schemes in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, is designed to warn people about risks to life.
Phone users will not be able to use other features on their devices unless they acknowledge the alert.
The alarm, which will be sent on St. George’s Day, will appear on people’s phone home screens, accompanied by a loud warning sound and vibration.
The siren-like alarm will sound for ten seconds to warn people of the danger to life on Sunday, April 23 (file image)
The plan will initially focus on the most severe extreme weather events. It will be able to reach 90 percent of mobile users within the relevant area in an emergency.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said: “We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alert system, to deal with a wide range of threats, from floods to bushfires.”
‘It will revolutionize our ability to warn and inform people that they are in immediate danger and help us keep people safe.
“As we’ve seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life.”
People who don’t want to receive the alerts will be able to opt out of them in their device settings, but officials hope the life-saving potential of the messages means users will stick with them.
The alerts will only come from the government or emergency services, and will include details of the affected area and provide instructions on how best to respond.
The Cabinet Office said the alerts are secure, free and one-way, insisting they do not reveal anyone’s location or collect personal data.
Trials of the service have already been carried out in East Suffolk and Reading.
The scheme could eventually be expanded to cover terrorist incidents, but officials acknowledged that much more information would be needed about how the warning system works in the UK before that could happen in response to a fast-moving attack.
The president of the National Council of Fire Chiefs, Mark Hardingham, said: “Together with all fire and rescue services in the country, I look forward to having emergency alerts available to help us do our jobs and help communities in emergencies.” .
“We have seen this type of system in action in other parts of the world and look forward to having it installed here in the UK, working together with fire services and partners we want this system to help us help you to be as safe as you are. you can if a crisis comes.
Caroline Douglas of the Environment Agency, chief executive of coastal erosion and flood risk management, said: “Being able to communicate timely and accurate warnings during incidents is really important to help people take action to protect themselves. themselves, their families and their neighbors
