The UK government has set up an emergency service to alert people to potentially life-threatening events via their mobile phones.
The first test of this service will be held in April. Duchy of Lancaster Chancellor 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 wildfires.
“This will revolutionize our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger and help us protect people. As we have seen in the US and other countries, ringing the phone can save a life.”
The US, Canada, Japan and the Netherlands already have similar systems in place to warn people of extreme weather.
Here’s everything you need to know about warnings and what to expect from the test.
When is the emergency call test?
Alert check in progress Sunday 23.4.
The alert reads: “This is a test by Emergency Alerts, a new UK public service, to alert you if there is a life-threatening emergency nearby.
“In this emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to protect yourself and others.
“Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
“This is a test. You don’t have to do anything.”
How do emergency notifications work?
Emergency calls are sent only by emergency services or government departments, agencies and government agencies dealing with emergencies.
You can receive warnings of severe flooding, fire, or extreme weather conditions.
When you receive a notification, your phone or tablet may:
- make a loud siren sound even when the sound is off;
- vibrate;
- read the warning.
The sound and vibration last about 10 seconds.
The warning includes a phone number or a link to a government website for more information.
You will receive notifications based on your current location, not where you live or work. You don’t need to enable location services to receive notifications.
If you receive a warning, stop working and follow the instructions in the warning. You must acknowledge the warning before you can use other phone features.
If you are driving, find a safe place to stop before responding to the warning.
The government said the alerts are safe and free to receive and will not reveal anyone’s whereabouts or collect personal information.
Notifications work across all 4G and 5G phone networks. Old “non-smartphones” are not included as the 3G technology they use will be shut down next year. The government said people would be informed differently if they don’t have a compatible device.
Can I disable emergency notifications?
You can opt out of receiving emergency notifications in your device settings.
Your settings should: emergency alerts section that should be below notifications.
From this section, you can choose which alerts you want to enable or disable.
Source: I News
With a background in journalism and a passion for technology, I am an experienced writer and editor. As an author at 24 News Reporter, I specialize in writing about the latest news and developments within the tech industry. My work has been featured on various publications including Wired Magazine and Engadget.