This is a sample emergency alert notice.
Image Credit: Submitted/Voyent Alert!
November 10, 2023 - 4:30 PM
There will be a routine nationwide emergency alert system test next week in BC that will include the sounding of a siren near Vernon.
The test will broadcast a notification on television and radio, as well as send a message to cell phones on Nov. 15 at 1:55 p.m., according to a provincial government media release. There's no need for the public to be alarmed or take any action. The test is to promote awareness about the system to make sure it works properly.
Along with the broadcasted message, the recently installed emergency siren at Predator Ridge, a community near Vernon, will be tested, the City of Vernon said in a media release. Residents and visitors around Predator Ridge will hear a loud wailing sound.
The siren was installed at Fire Station 3 as an effort from the Predator Ridge Community Emergency Management Committee to help with emergency notifications in wildfire situations.
In BC, the province tests the emergency alert system twice a year.
The cell phone alert will say: “This is a TEST of the BC Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. Click for more info: www.emergencyinfobc.ca/test. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”
For phones to get the alert they have to be connected to LTE, have the do not disturb mode off, and have up-to-date software.
"During the 2023 wildfire season, tens of thousands of people were asked to evacuate on short notice," the release read. "In 2023, the province issued 24 emergency alerts about evacuation orders, providing people with timely, life-saving information when they needed it."
Click here to find out more about emergency preparedness.
Click here to find out more information about the alert system.
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