What is the idea behind emergency alerts?

At 15:00 on Sunday 23rd April, the majority of smartphones across the UK emitted a strange loud siren-like sound. This went on for around 10 seconds. 

Fortunately most people were aware that it was in fact a test of the government’s Emergency Alert system. But do you know what is the idea behind this system and when it would be used for real? Also, what if you were one of the many smartphone users that did not get the alert? What happens next?

In this article we take a look at the strange new world of emergency alerts.

What is the Emergency Alert system?

The Cabinet Office has been developing this new public contact capability since 2021. The aim of the Emergency Alert system is to be a tool for warning and informing people in the event of any developing situation that carries a high risk to life. 

Alerts will be broadcast to mobile phones by a push notification via mobile phone masts using a one-way signal to all devices in the area. and work on all 4G and 5G phone networks. Individual phone numbers are not required. Alerts will be sent based on current location, but location services do not need to be switched on to receive alerts.

During the alert, your mobile phone will do one or more of the following:

• make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set to silent;
• vibrate;
• flash the words “severe alert” on screens;
• read out the alert.

This will last for about 10 seconds.

When would the Emergency Alert system be used for real?

The main circumstances an Emergency Alert would be issued are:

• severe flooding;
• fires;
• extreme weather conditions.

Emergency Alerts would not generally be used for live terrorism incidents, although it’s feasible that an alert could be sent out for a situation that later comes to be identified as terrorism. 

Emergency alerts will only be sent by either the emergency services or government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies.

What should you do if you get an Emergency Alert?

If you get an alert, the first thing to do is to stop whatever you’re doing. This is particularly important if you are driving : find somewhere safe to stop before reading the message.

You then need to follow the instructions in the alert. The alert will include a phone number and/or a link to the Gov Uk website for more information.

It’s also important to tune into national and local news, TV, radio or social media for further updates on the current situation.

What happens if you did not get the alert on 23rd April?

One of the outcomes of the test on 23rd April was that some users received the alert a minute early or a few minutes late, and some people did not receive the alert at all. Users of the Three mobile network seemed to be particularly badly affected. The Cabinet Office will be looking into all of these issues as part of the review of the test and working with mobile phone operators to resolve them.

So far no plans have been announced to repeat the test.

What devices would the Emergency Alert system notify?

Assuming that the above issues are resolved, which devices would the Emergency Alert system notify in future? In fact, any Apple or Android devices that can connect to a 4G or 5G phone network in the UK should receive emergency alerts. However, there are three factors that need to be considered:

• Your device needs an up-to-date operating system. Phones need to be running iOS 14.5 or Android 11 or later versions in order to receive alerts. Tablets need to be running Android 11 or later.
• Phones set to aeroplane mode or turned off will not receive alerts.
• Devices that are only connected to Wi-Fi and not a mobile network will not receive alerts.

If for any reason you cannot receive emergency alerts, for example you either do not have a compatible device, or there is a problem with its function, you will still be informed about an emergency. The emergency services will use a variety of ways to warn people when there is a threat to life.

We hope that the information in this article helps you to understand more about the new emergency alert system and what to do should it happen for real.

Meanwhile, if you are going through some kind of emergency of your own, and need a bit of financial help to sort things out, remember that Loans 2 Go offer emergency loans that may be able to help.

Do visit us here again soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.