Author Topic: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones  (Read 5716 times)

Mr Onion

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Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« on: March 19, 2023, 05:13:35 PM »
A siren-like alert will be sent to mobile phone users across the UK next month to test a new government public warning system.

It allows the government and emergency services to send urgent messages warning the public of life-threatening situations like flooding or wildfires.

The test is expected to take place in the early evening of 23 April.

Phone users will have to acknowledge the alert before they can use other features on their devices.

A message will appear on the home screens of people's devices during the test, with vibration and a loud warning sound that will ring for about 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to silent.

The system - which became operational on Sunday - is being modelled on similar schemes used in the US, Canada, Japan and The Netherlands.

Messages would only ever come from the government or emergency services and will initially focus on the most serious weather-related events, with the ability to get a message to 90% of mobile users within the relevant area.

Source

Kremmen

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2023, 05:53:53 PM »
I saw that.

Even with your phone on silent or do not disturb it can override it.

Depending on the time I may just turn my phone off.
Let's be careful out there !

Mr Onion

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2023, 05:56:08 PM »
I would expect that the alert would arrive as soon as you turn it on again, much the same as a text message does

IanG

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2023, 06:09:55 PM »
Be useful to provide alerts when tomatoes and peppers are available within the locale!

Jocko

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2023, 06:14:18 PM »
You know what will happen? They will send it out nationwide then no one will be able to use their mobile phone for the following few days while they sort the snags out.

embee

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2023, 06:26:07 PM »
Big brother??

So they make your phone do stuff even if you don't want it to. Hmmmm ...........

Each to their own, but my phone gets switched on ONLY when I want to use it, otherwise it is off ............... or at least I think it's off .............

Lord Voltermore

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2023, 10:57:09 AM »
A cunning plan to weed out those without a smart  phone.  They may get no other warning of an emergency situation such as a flood or forest fire  and be left to  drown or roast  :P.

And how long before hackers  put out false alarms causing panic  because the government has taken the cheapest bid on programming, security,etc or appointed one of their cronys with no experience  or developers controlled  by a hostile foreign state.
  Trust a dog to guard your house  , but not your sandwich

aphybrid

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2023, 11:21:15 AM »
early 1950 theree used to be siren alerts throughout the UK, these were to 'practise' for nuclear attacks. Schools and public information films gave guidence about hiding under tables, away from windows etc.
I have found this re-mastered film Also old nuclear bunkers open to the public run these.

Maybe this new signal is a fore-taste of what is coming??

Marco1979

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2023, 03:23:05 PM »
In NL these sirens are also present. They are tested every month on the first Monday at noon for as long as I can remember. Simultaneously you also get a message on your phone which makes a lot of noise. It overrides all other apps, just as a regular iPhone event would do.

You get used to it. Eventually...


Bazzzer

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2023, 04:08:51 PM »
There's a siren test at a government establishment near us every Monday at 10am GMT.

Kremmen

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2023, 05:26:30 PM »
Early evening. What time roughly ?

Some parents trying to get babies to sleep and that racket goes off on maybe 2 phones.

Shift workers.

Their should be an opt out for those who this will inconvenience. Will it keep going till acknowledged or is it timed off ?

Let's be careful out there !

nowster

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2023, 10:38:06 AM »
It can be easily turned off.

On Android phones:

Go to Settings, search for "Alerts", select anything in the "Emergency Alerts" category then toggle "Allow Alerts" off.

Mr Onion

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2023, 10:53:33 AM »
Early evening. What time roughly ?

Some parents trying to get babies to sleep and that racket goes off on maybe 2 phones.

Shift workers.

Their should be an opt out for those who this will inconvenience. Will it keep going till acknowledged or is it timed off ?

All very good points, imagine all of the hospitals medical staffs phones going off all together, let alone those of the patients

ColinB

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2023, 12:02:40 PM »
These comments seem to be missing the point. This is all about emergency alerts that will be used when there's a danger to life. And you want to turn them off?

Jocko

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Re: Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK mobile phones
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2023, 12:07:31 PM »
These comments seem to be missing the point. This is all about emergency alerts that will be used when there's a danger to life. And you want to turn them off?
And it is only a one-off test.

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