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UK Government’s new Emergency Alert system now live

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 18th April 2023

There will be test run of the new Emergency Alert system at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.

The new Emergency Alert system will be used to warn individuals in the event of emergencies, such as sever weather. Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible mobile phones within an area of risk. They do not track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data.

The test will ‘broadcast’ a loud, siren-like sound to all compatible mobile phones for 30 minutes from this time. However, you will only receive the alert once. The longer test period is designed to ensure the message is received by people who might be in an area without mobile phone coverage.

The system is fully owned and operated by the UK Government and the Scottish Government has agreed to participate in a three-month trial for use during a severe weather emergency which runs until the end of June. During the trial the Scottish Government Resilience team are engaging with UKG and Scotland’s emergency response partners to ensure it can be as effective as possible if it is introduced permanently in the future.

To find out more about Emergency Alerts, visit The UK Government website.

The Scottish Government has been highlighting for some time with UK Government the need to ensure the system meets the needs of disabled people and Deaf BSL users.

The UK Government website carries the following information:

  • If you’re deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert.
  • You can opt out of receiving emergency alerts; for more information on how to opt out please go to www.gov.uk/alerts  

Scottish Government has also been working with other Devolved Governments and the Welsh Government has recently produced a BSL video about the Emergency Alert system. To note that there is reference in the video to other emergency types but in Scotland the system will only be used for severe weather.

There are media assets available, which include information about opting out from receiving alerts: https://sgmarketing-newsroom.prgloo.com/resources/f/safer-scotland-campaigns/uk-emergency-alerts

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