Emergency alert test to hit B.C. cellphones, TV, radio Wednesday afternoon | 24CA News
Mobile telephones throughout British Columbia are set to chirp and buzz in unison as officers conduct an annual check of Canada’s emergency alerting system.
The check is scheduled for 1:55 p.m. PT, and coincides with Emergency Preparedness Week.
“With the spring hazard season now upon us, we’re reminded of just how important it is for all of us – the Province, communities and people across British Columbia – to be prepared for the unexpected,” Emergency Preparedness and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma mentioned in a media launch.
“During Emergency Preparedness Week, we encourage everyone to get prepared by taking a few simple steps, such as creating a grab-and-go bag and making an emergency plan. By taking these steps now, we can all help ensure that our families and communities are ready in the event of an emergency.”
Wednesday’s check will ship the alert to appropriate cellphones, and also will contain broadcasts to tv and radio stations.
The alert will likely be clearly labelled as a check.
Intrusive cell alerts had been used thrice over the weekend in British Columbia to ship wildfire evacuation orders to folks in northeastern British Columbia.
The province expanded the usage of the National Public Alerting system past tsunami alerts final 12 months, to incorporate flood, wildfire and excessive warmth threats.
Police are additionally in a position to make use of the system for civil emergencies and Amber Alerts.
At a Monday briefing on spring flood and wildfire threats, Ma urged the general public to guarantee they’ve an emergency plan, an emergency package and a ‘grab-and-go’ bag ready in case of an evacuation order or alert.
She mentioned British Columbians also can pre-register for emergency help providers, which can pace up their skill to get assist in the case of an evacuation.
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