Canadian provincial and territorial governments will be conducting the next test of the Alert Ready emergency alert system tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon.
The test will be at 2:55 p.m.
Alert Ready is designed to distribute critical and potentially life-saving emergency messages to Canadians over television, radio, and wireless public alert (WPA) compatible wireless devices that are connected to an LTE network. Wireless service providers are required to distribute all alerts that are sent by alert issuers.
"These tests make an important contribution to a well-functioning emergency management process," said Robert Ghiz, President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.. "It gives Canadians the opportunity to learn how their devices will react to the alert and helps all emergency management partners evaluate and make improvements to the processes currently in place."
While opting-out of the emergency alert system is not possible, some Canadians may not receive the upcoming alert on their mobile device for a variety of reasons:
- The device may not be compatible.
- The device software may not be up to date.
- The device may not be connected to an LTE network during the alert (i.e. is on Wi-Fi, turned off or on airplane mode, or is being used for a voice call).
- The device may be in an area without LTE wireless coverage.
You are reminded not to call 911 for additional information about the test. Using 911 for non-emergency calls could delay help for people experiencing real emergencies.
As of April 6, 2019, all new phones sold by Canadian wireless service provides must be WPA-compatible. Canadians who purchased their devices before April 6 are encouraged to check their device compatibility on their service provider's website, and all Canadians are asked to ensure that their device has the latest software installed.
"Since January 1, 2019, more than 125 emergency alerts have been successfully transmitted and have been credited with saving lives, as well as apprehending suspects in the case of AMBER Alerts," added Ghiz. "Every test of a complex national system helps us to improve it and we encourage Canadians to help make the test as effective as possible."
