BURST
Relax: This is a test. This is only a test.
On Wednesday, May 7, at precisely 1:55 p.m., British Columbia residents will receive an emergency alert on cellphone, TV and radio in a twice-yearly test of the national warning system . (The other test is scheduled for November.)
It’s part of Emergency Preparedness Week and the national public alerting system, a collaboration among federal, provincial and territorial governments and their industry partners.
Anyone with a compatible cellphone — it must be connected to an LTE cellular network to work, and it can’t be in “do not disturb” or airplane mode — will be sent a message that reads:
“This is a TEST of the B.C. Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. Click for more info: www.emergencyinfobc.ca/test . This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”
The alert will also interrupt radio and television broadcasts at the set time, said the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Climate Readiness in a news release.
The test is designed to “assess the system’s readiness for an actual emergency and identify any required adjustments.” The real alerts aim to “rapidly warn the public of imminent or unfolding hazards and threats to life and safety.”
B.C. first launched its emergency alert system in April 2018. In 2022, the alerts were expanded beyond tsunami warnings to include imminent threats from flood, wildfires and extreme-heat emergencies.
Last year, the federal government launched an earthquake early-warning system in B.C. In the event of a quake that meets an established threshold, the system automatically issues an “intrusive alert message” to cellphones in areas that might be affected. Ideally, it is triggered before strong shaking is felt, providing “precious seconds of warning for people to better protect themselves and others.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada is responsible for sending alerts to cellphones for tornados, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and storm surges. Police are in charge of alerts for civil emergencies and Amber Alerts.
In both the 2023 and 2024 wildfire seasons, tens of thousands of people were asked to evacuate on short notice as wildfires threatened their communities. “B.C. emergency alerts were an important tool to provide people with timely, life-saving information,” said the ministry.
Anyone interested in doing a short online survey to let system administrators know how it worked can do so in English or French .
More information about emergency alerts in B.C. and what to do in a real one is available at gov.bc.ca . Tips on creating a plan in a real emergency are at PreparedBC.ca .