Alert Ready Test To Take Place This Afternoon

A Canada-wide test of the National Public Alerting System is a go for this afternoon.

It will take place at 1:55 p.m. (Pacific time) - aimed at improving public safety in the event of an emergency.

The test alert will go to all compatible cellphones and interrupt radio and television broadcasts.

The test will assess the system’s readiness for an actual emergency and identify any required adjustments.

The province expanded the use of BC Emergency Alerts beyond tsunami warnings in 2022 to also include imminent threats from floods, wildfires and extreme heat emergencies.

Police issue Amber Alerts and alerts for civil emergencies.

During the 2023 wildfire season, tens of thousands of people were asked to evacuate on short notice - issuing 24 emergency alerts about evacuation orders.

The National Public Alerting System is a collaborative initiative between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as industry partners.

It provides a standard alerting capability to rapidly warn the public of imminent or unfolding hazards and threats to life and safety.

Following a 2014 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision, all radio and television broadcasters in Canada are mandated to broadcast public alerts with wireless providers becoming fully capable in 2018.

The BC Emergency Alert system was launched on April 6, 2018, and is tested twice a year in spring and fall.