DO NOT BE ALARMED! NEW EMERGENCY ALERTS SERVICE BEING TESTED BY UK GOVERNMENT

By Veronica Corr

This Sunday, people in and around the Border area or with roaming on their mobile phones may receive a popup message on their home screen. The Irish Government and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have asked the media to assure the public that this is not a cause for concern, it is merely a UK Government test of a new emergency alerts service, which is scheduled for 3pm on 23rd April. If mobile phones in the Republic of Ireland happen to interface with masts in the North, it is likely that they could get this alert, which will be a welcome message, broadcast from 3- 4pm. You do not need to subscribe to the service and it will not appear like an SMS or text message.

The message may pop up on your phone and will stay on screen until it is dismissed by you. It is likely that the message will contain a siren or cause your phone to vibrate, so while it will get your attention, no action is required. The noise will only occur for around ten seconds and you will only receive the alert once, if your phone bounces of a mast during the test. The idea behind the Emergency Alerts system is to warn people if there is a danger to life nearby. In an emergency, your mobile phone receives an alert with advice about how to stay safe. The Emergency Alerts service does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert. The only circumstance where people won’t receive…