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Original poster

Emergency test broadcasting message on phone

98 replies

TheTroubleWithShoes · 11/05/2021 07:56

Has anyone else had this?

I just woke up, a minute before my alarm went off, to my mobile making a very loud rather frantic beeping noise.

It took me a minute to work out what it was but when I looked it said it was a test of the emergency broadcasting system and that I didn't need to do anything else.

Has anyone else had this happen?

OP posts:
Ostara212 · 11/05/2021 14:32

I don't really see what it's for in England unless we have regular earthquakes.

Terror attack I guess. I tend to check transport before I leave, roads or rail. So if I'm already on the train that's going to blow, a phone alert isn't going to help.

Original poster
TheTroubleWithShoes · 11/05/2021 14:35

Out of interest OP, where (roughly) are you?

I'm just outside of Glasgow.

I do live by a stream and another water source, but my area hasn't flooded in a long time.

I'll let you know in about a week. I finally got the covid stay at home one a week after everybody else I know!

Lol. Poor you, AMillionMilesAway At least you'll be cheerfully oblivious until the last second, while the rest of us are running around screaming in terror.

OP posts:
RaspberryCoulis · 11/05/2021 14:38

Only once in Florida warning us of an impending tornado.

I'm just outside glasgow too and have heard nothing.

Original poster
TheTroubleWithShoes · 11/05/2021 14:42

Yes! I'm a nurse and one of my patients called me over to their bedside a couple of hours ago to show me this alert on their phone

I'm assuming that if your poor patient wasn't already on a Cardiology ward, that they are now. I almost joined them.

OP posts:
chesirecat99 · 11/05/2021 14:57

This reminds me a story from my DF. She and her partner were living in Seoul when Trump and Kim Jong Un were waggling their willies and threatening to start WW3.

They (my friends, not Trump and King Jong Un) were having breakfast in a cafe and about to head off for a hike in the country when her partner was called into work because things were escalating. As she headed off to the subway after breakfast, she passed the American Embassy where sirens were blazing and the PA system screaming instructions in English, "Imminent nuclear attack. This is not a drill. Move away from the windows, take shelter..." All while everyone went merrily about their business on the street, totally oblivious.

She considered heading to the bomb shelter but then decided if she was going to die, it might as well be walking in the mountains rather than cowering underground.

evilkitten · 11/05/2021 14:57

Flood warning service is the prime one in the UK (in the absence of earthquakes), but also major incidents like terrorism etc, nuclear/chemical leaks etc. There's loads of systems in place alread (flood warning system has texts and phone calls, but no good if you're a visitor to an area as you won't recieve them), Broadmoor/Plymouth etc. have sirens - but again, no use if you're a visitor and you don't know what they mean.

amusedbush · 11/05/2021 15:19

I've never had one in the UK but it has happened a couple of times when I've been on holiday in New York - both weather warnings during torrential rain.

MooseBeTimeForSummer · 11/05/2021 15:30

I’m in Alberta, Canada. We have a provincial alarm system which broadcasts over cell and local radio. It’s used for child abduction, flood and fire. We had a devastating wildfire here five years ago and that alarm featured heavily in the instructions to prepare to evacuate and then evacuate.
It has gone off many times since. Everyone understands it is very helpful but also very triggering. Many are suffering PTSD form losing their homes and/or having to drive through walls of fire to get out.

ConfusedAdultFemale · 11/05/2021 15:57

Nope but I’m with O2 and now rather offended they didn’t test my service! I’d quite like to be warned if there’s a danger to my life too Grin

Ostara212 · 11/05/2021 17:56

@MooseBeTimeForSummer

I’m in Alberta, Canada. We have a provincial alarm system which broadcasts over cell and local radio. It’s used for child abduction, flood and fire. We had a devastating wildfire here five years ago and that alarm featured heavily in the instructions to prepare to evacuate and then evacuate. It has gone off many times since. Everyone understands it is very helpful but also very triggering. Many are suffering PTSD form losing their homes and/or having to drive through walls of fire to get out.
The child abduction thing...is it called Amber alert? I remember a US friend telling me you could switch it off.

I'd rather do that. As someone said on MN, if there's a mushroom cloud outside, you run towards it, not away from it!

Boxeduplikechickenchowmein · 11/05/2021 18:31

The bear one is so people are aware of their surroundings and avoid the bear..
Anyone passing the area,Im not sure now how many kilometres is the range will get the Ro-alert no matter what network you are on.
In recent years they have been roaming towns and villages in search of food so they are getting closer and closer to humans.
Most of the times with no harm done to humans but it does happen so they are trying to prevent it.

Ostara212 · 11/05/2021 18:34

@Boxeduplikechickenchowmein

The bear one is so people are aware of their surroundings and avoid the bear.. Anyone passing the area,Im not sure now how many kilometres is the range will get the Ro-alert no matter what network you are on. In recent years they have been roaming towns and villages in search of food so they are getting closer and closer to humans. Most of the times with no harm done to humans but it does happen so they are trying to prevent it.
It's like a double sadness

Humans have encroached so much on animal territory...and the response is to make no attempt to fix that but use tech to warn people about animals.

Boxeduplikechickenchowmein · 11/05/2021 18:36

Yes exactly that sadly.

MindTheBumps · 11/05/2021 21:32

We have a chemical plant on our town and every Monday at 1pm they test the siren. Came in handy during lockdown to remind me what day I was on.

Hangingover · 11/05/2021 21:35

This has happened to me once. I was in Romania so I needed Google translate and then Google maps to work out that there was a bear a few streets away from us

That's an excellent dinner party story. I'm jealous. Did you go looking for the bear?

Original poster
TheTroubleWithShoes · 17/06/2021 13:06

The Zombie Apocalypse may indeed be imminent because I just received another Emergency Test Alert. Thankfully at the much more civilised time of 1pm. So they've obviously listened after the plethora angry Tweets last time.

OP posts:
Anythingelseintheboxpandora · 18/06/2021 01:14

Nope. This whole thing is making me want to launch my phone into the nearest body of water.

Terrifying.

Ostara212 · 18/06/2021 01:29

@Anythingelseintheboxpandora

Nope. This whole thing is making me want to launch my phone into the nearest body of water.

Terrifying.

Oh lord

I'm going to have to start using a landline again.

What is wrong with these people?

Ostara212 · 18/06/2021 01:35

Looks like tomorrow and 29th are on the list

www.gov.uk/alerts/planned-tests

RamblingFar · 18/06/2021 02:16

They announced in the news about a few weeks ago that they were going to start testing the system in some areas.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57145675

user1468690058 · 18/06/2021 06:44

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9584139/Britons-sent-SOS-text-alerts-warning-emergencies-new-government-trial.html

I had one last week, I'm with vodaphone

FatLadySang · 18/06/2021 07:46

Oh joy I see they are running a test today UK wide. That will be fun if my phone goes off in the pub at lunch…..

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