Emergency Management BC testied the province’s emergency alert system at 1:55 p.m. on Wednesday.
During the test an alert was broadcast on radio and TV, and on compatible cellphones or other wireless devices, according to a statement released by Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General on Tuesday.
The message read: "This is a TEST of the BC emergency alert system, issued by Emergency Management BC. This is ONLY a TEST. In an actual emergency, this message would contain instructions to help keep you and your community safe. Learn more about how, when and why emergency alerts are issued in BC at www.emergencyinfobc.ca/alert. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required."
To receive the alert, cellphones had to be connected to an LTE cellular network, turned on and not set to do not disturb or airplane mode, be alert compatible, have up-to-date software and be within the alert area. Emergency alerts are broadcast automatically, at no cost to the user.
B.C.’s emergency alert system is part of the national Alert Ready system, and was launched in April 2018. In 2022, the provincial government expanded the Alert Ready system to include alerts about wildfires, floods and extreme heat, in addition to tsunamis, civil emergencies and Amber Alerts about missing children.
The provincial government is asking residents to help inform them about the effectiveness of the system, by taking a short online survey administered by Public Emergency Alerting Services Inc. after the test on Wednesday afternoon.
