Well that just made me jump a mile!

naiveandrestles · 2025-09-07T14:02:08+00:00

And could I find my phone?! Obviously not!

sittingonabeach · 08/09/2025 11:56

I know in other countries they can be used for missing child alerts.

We received weather warning alerts using this system, but I assume flooding, chemical spills (where you need to stay indoors and close windows), wild fires (if you live near areas where these can be problematic) are all things they can be used for.

Galatine · 08/09/2025 10:28

nomas · 07/09/2025 15:52

This wasn’t a fire alarm test though. Those are now silent at my workplace thankfully.

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How does a silent alarm test work? Surely it defeats the objective.

jannier · 07/09/2025 21:50

nomas · 07/09/2025 15:46

How many times do they need to test this thing. Didn’t they only test in 2023.

It didn't work well enough last time

Original poster

naiveandrestles · 07/09/2025 16:57

dynamiccactus · 07/09/2025 16:01

I can't really see why you need it unless you live in an earthquake zone or a warzone. Maybe if there were flash floods? But if there were a storm warning I'd be looking out for trouble anyway. Same if it was really hot and I thought there could be heath fires.

I think it's the same as a flood alert. Im signed up to those and I get an automated call. Generally in the middle of the night. That always makes me jump too!

OP posts:

5foot5 · 07/09/2025 16:46

Bbq1 · 07/09/2025 15:54

I know it wasn't loud at all. All the advice about it beforehand was saying that it would be a very loud sound. In reality, it was fairly quiet.

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Odd! Ours was really quite loud. If I hadn't been expecting it I would have had a fright.

5foot5 · 07/09/2025 16:42

weareallcats · 07/09/2025 15:15

Disgruntled cats and dog here too.

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Three of us in the house and all our phones went off within seconds of each other at 3pm. Really quite loud. Poor cat very confused, wondering what the hell we are all doing.

I found if you left it to go on without pressing ok that after a few seconds a voice starts reading the message out to you, including the Welsh bit.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 07/09/2025 16:41

I was having a kip on the couch when my went off. To say I shit myself is an understatement

rainbowstardrops · 07/09/2025 16:40

Bbq1 · 07/09/2025 15:54

I know it wasn't loud at all. All the advice about it beforehand was saying that it would be a very loud sound. In reality, it was fairly quiet.

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Ours (On 3 network) didn’t go off last time, so I was expecting an alarm like a loud smoke alarm!
What’s the point if it’s not going to be loud enough to alert people???

HippyDays · 07/09/2025 16:36

Sodastreamin · 07/09/2025 15:09

I knew someone would start a thread about it! Haha
Honestly, the amount of drama surrounding a short noise on one occasion in order to make sure an alert service works correctly before it’s ever required (hopefully never) in the event of flooding/wildfires etc, is truly baffling.
Yes they should’ve done this years ago like the US etc but they didn’t. Then we had lots of flooding & some wildfires - one not far from me that I think is still ongoing right now, spreading across moors so bad that the London Fire Brigade had to travel up - and so they’ve now decided they need a more direct alert system so they’re testing it 🤷🏼‍♀️ What on earth is the big deal?!?

I don’t get this?

“Yes they should’ve done this years ago like the US etc but they didn’t”
But they did?

”and so they’ve now decided they need a more direct alert system so they’re testing it”
but we have had the system, they have not just decided one is needed.

A quick google:
The UK's national emergency alert system has been used five times to send real, live alerts since its first national test in April 2023. These alerts have been issued during severe weather events, such as Storm Eowyn and Storm Darragh, and to warn residents about the removal of an unexploded World War Two bomb in Plymouth.

Hoppinggreen · 07/09/2025 16:25

ProfoundlyPeculiarAndWeird · 07/09/2025 15:29

Didn't flipping notice my alert until 25 mins late. I guess that means I'm technically dead now and have to sit out the next round.

Good luck to all of you who made it through to the next round.

May the odds be ever in your favour

jannier · 07/09/2025 16:23

With 4 people 2 on three went off at 3, husband on O2 migrated from Virgin went off at 3.05, I'm on O2 and have been left to suffer as no alert.

Livpool · 07/09/2025 16:20

Same! I was having a nap and nearly jumped out of my skin

TheHillsIsLonely · 07/09/2025 16:16

Nothing here. Vodafone. It looks like I'm on the Do Not Save list.

TheignT · 07/09/2025 16:12

HopefulBeliever · 07/09/2025 15:53

No alert, no message, no text.

Well that’s me fighting the zombies on my own!

No it will be you, me and my almost 80 disabled husband. Zombies don't stand a chance. DH could do some damage with his walking sticks.

TheignT · 07/09/2025 16:09

dynamiccactus · 07/09/2025 16:01

I can't really see why you need it unless you live in an earthquake zone or a warzone. Maybe if there were flash floods? But if there were a storm warning I'd be looking out for trouble anyway. Same if it was really hot and I thought there could be heath fires.

In Plymouth last year they found a large unexploded bomb and people got warning to evacuate the area. Fortunately it didn't go off.

TheignT · 07/09/2025 16:08

Mine didn't go off, DHs didn't go off. I guess we'd just drown/get blown up in an emergency.

littleburn · 07/09/2025 16:03

I was reversing into a parking space when mine went off. I thought I’d done something awful to my car and set off a warning sensor!

dynamiccactus · 07/09/2025 16:01

I can't really see why you need it unless you live in an earthquake zone or a warzone. Maybe if there were flash floods? But if there were a storm warning I'd be looking out for trouble anyway. Same if it was really hot and I thought there could be heath fires.

dynamiccactus · 07/09/2025 15:58

DS and I turned ours off, DH's went off when our noisy kettle was boiling so wasn't too intrusive.

I wonder how many road accidents there will be because people jumped out of their skins when it went off? I know we were warned a million times, I look at government press releases for work and it was at the top of the page in a banner but I still forgot it was happening.

NOTANUM · 07/09/2025 15:57

O2 didn’t work in this house. Mix of android and IOS and various ages of phones including new to very old!

DiscoBob · 07/09/2025 15:57

KimberleyClark · 07/09/2025 15:44

I’ve just to edited to add my phone did go off, I was upstairs so didn’t hear it!

Edited

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Haha! It's not very loud then is it? Useless!

minipie · 07/09/2025 15:55

I was on the bus. Half the people on it didn’t get the alert and looking round like the rest of us are in some sort of cult or flashmob.

Bbq1 · 07/09/2025 15:54

rainbowstardrops · 07/09/2025 15:06

I was just coming on to say that I didn’t think it was very loud!
I’d just walked in from the kitchen and picked my phone up to check the time on my phone and that’s when it went off. I’m not sure I’d have heard it if I was in another room 😬 Oh and my iPad didn’t go off. Not sure if it should have done?

I know it wasn't loud at all. All the advice about it beforehand was saying that it would be a very loud sound. In reality, it was fairly quiet.

HopefulBeliever · 07/09/2025 15:53

No alert, no message, no text.

Well that’s me fighting the zombies on my own!

nomas · 07/09/2025 15:52

sittingonabeach · 07/09/2025 15:49

@nomas how often do fire alarms get tested at work?

Many people didn't get the notification in 2023. Hopefully, more coverage this time

This wasn’t a fire alarm test though. Those are now silent at my workplace thankfully.