UK Emergency Alert Test this Sunday
Around 3.00pm this Sunday 7 September (when some churches may be at Evensong) mobile phones on 4G and 5G connections in Northern Ireland will receive an emergency alert.
This is part of a UK-wide test for a system deliver urgent safety advice during major emergencies.
During the test – which will be authorised and organised by the UK Government – phones will vibrate and emit a loud, siren-like sound for up to 10 seconds. A message will appear on screen, making it clear that the alert is a drill and no action is needed.
The drill follows the live deployment of the system in Northern Ireland just before Storm Éowyn in January this year, which warned of the threat to life posed by the storm and urged people to stay indoors.
For reference, the full text of the test message will read as follows:
This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at gov.uk/prepare.
Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information or to view this message in Welsh. Ewch i gov.uk/alerts am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg.
The full statement on the initiative, from the Northern Ireland Office, can be read at THIS LINK.