Don’t be alarmed—if your phone or radio station makes a loud noise Wednesday afternoon, it’s just a test...
B.C. will be testing its emergency alert system at 1:55 p.m. on Nov. 19. The alert will sound on all compatible cellphones and interrupt radio and TV broadcasts. The message will say: “This is a TEST of the BC Emergency Alert System issued by the Province of British Columbia. This is ONLY a TEST. In an actual emergency, this message would tell you about the hazard and how to stay safe. This information could save your life.
Visit www.emergencyinfobc.ca/test to learn more and give feedback on this test. This is ONLY a TEST.”
In the province, the emergency alert system is tested twice a year to boost public awareness, show what to expect during a real incident, and fine-tune the system before an actual emergency happens.
Different agencies can use it to issue warnings for tsunamis, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, civil emergencies, and Amber Alerts. It can also send alerts in the case of a major earthquake before strong shaking starts. Emergency alerts can be found here.