New details have been revealed of an emergency alert test which will sound on every phone in the country in just five weeks’ time.
The Cabinet Office has confirmed the full 86-word message which is set to be beamed out on September 7 as the Government seeks to ready the public for the drill.
Alongside the message, some 87 million devices will vibrate and make a siren noise for around 10 seconds as they receive the text at around 3pm.
It will include both English and Welsh text, and be sent to all mobile phones on 4G and 5G networks in the UK.
It will read: “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.”
LATEST ON EMERGENCY ALERTS:
PA
|
The Cabinet Office has confirmed the full 86-word message which is set to be beamed out on September 7
Cabinet Office chief Pat McFadden said on Monday: “Just like the fire alarm in your house, it’s important we test this system so that we know it will work if we need it.
“The alerts have the potential to save lives.”
People at risk of domestic abuse have been warned of the potential dangers posed by the alert, however.
Domestic violence charity Refuge has raised concerns that the test could reveal the location of devices which survivors have hidden from their abuser.
PA |
‘It’s important we test this system so that we know it will work if we need it,’ Pat McFadden said
Meanwhile, some MPs have urged the Government to use different modes of communication for the alert in order to ensure it reaches people who do not have access to a phone.
One, the Lib Dems’ Cabinet Office spokeswoman Sarah Olney, has urged ministers to follow in the footsteps of their Scandinavian counterparts – where the public have been handed physical pamphlets about preparing for emergencies.
Since the system was first nationally tested in April 2023, five alerts have been sent – including during major storms such as Storm Eowyn in January when lives were at risk.
Other sirens have taken place when an unexploded Second World War bomb was discovered in Plymouth, as well as during flash floods in Cumbria and Leicestershire.
