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Original poster

This bloody emergency alert

403 replies

Random789 · 21/04/2023 21:07

It's going to be like when they test the fire alarm at work, isn't it?
You get more and more tense waiting for it, then three minutes before it is due to go off you forget all about it. Then it does go off and you scream like a lunatic and jump so hard that you dislocate something in your neck.

I'd rather just get fried in a nuclear attack and avoid all the stress.

OP posts:
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8
HecticHedgehog · 21/04/2023 22:20

I'm wondering what it would even be used for in the uk other than flood alerts?

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 21/04/2023 22:20

Sunshineandshowers39 · 21/04/2023 22:18

The timing seems a bit ill-thought out - Sunday is St George's Day and so lots of parades taking place. My DC are in the Scouts and 3pm is when the Cathedral service starts!

Surely anyone in the least bit scout related will be rpepared and have turned the alarm and/or therphones off

VincentVaguer · 21/04/2023 22:21

I'm going to be at a horse related sports event. Can't wait for that! Hundreds of phones going off at the same time, almost certainly when my dc is about to jump.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 21/04/2023 22:23

tonyele · 21/04/2023 22:19

Never owned a mobile phone, so unless it comes through on the landline it will pass me by!

You wont get it on your landline, it's mobiles only

User339406 · 21/04/2023 22:24

I think a lof of secret second phones will be uncovered....

I saw a reminder from a domestic violence charity that phones will make a sound even if on silent.

If you have a second phone for your safety please make sure it is turned off, not just on silent. (I can't remember what the advice said about flight mode)

That's an important message in the midst of the joking.

tarmum · 21/04/2023 22:25

Sorry but this really don’t get all the negativity? Most countries have had emergency alerts for years. We are behind the times. Why on earth would you switch it off (abused women aside)? Just don’t get it? A 10s alert you can choose to ignore if you wish? I get more hassle from endless ‘Amazon scam’ calls!

InSpainTheRain · 21/04/2023 22:26

Why are so many people seemingly over anxious about this? If you don't want it turn it off. If someone else's phone goes off who cares? It's a minor event. Do you not use reminders or alarm clocks or have fire and smoke alarms tested?

Womencanlift · 21/04/2023 22:27

I’m very surprised there are people who still don’t know about it or are just finding out now. I feel it’s been talked about for weeks on tv, radio, social media and we have even had emails at work about it, and we don’t even work Sundays

I am glad it is been so well advertised as hopefully it means those with secret phones for genuine reasons (I.E not adulterers) have had the chance to turn their phone off and it’s not found by the people they are hiding it from

BessieSurtees · 21/04/2023 22:29

Namechange828492 · 21/04/2023 21:39

I think a lof of secret second phones will be uncovered....

At work we have been alerting women living with abuse who have a secret / second phone to turn them off.

Original poster
Random789 · 21/04/2023 22:29

If the UK is late to the party with the emergency alert I think that is fair enough. We don't have earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, typhoons, gunmen in nursery schools, etc, so it hasn't been quite as pressing. But worth setting up for ... not sure, really, but I'm sure it will come in handy one day.

When I was a child there were still decrepit wind-up siren things about which I guess were from WW2, even though that had ended 25 or 30 years before. I have this memory - or false memory - that they used to be tested on Fridays

OP posts:
Dandelions18 · 21/04/2023 22:31

aberlot · 21/04/2023 21:30

I can assure you there is nothing pathetic about c-PTSD.

There will be multiple other conditions people suffer from which will be relevant when considering how they feel about this
.
You are fortunate to be flippant. But you don't have to be rude.

Show quote history

I have cptsd too.

I don't think anyone expects you to, it's more those who don't want to because it's an inconvenience.

As with anything, not every single person will be able to do it but those who can, should.

Elopelo · 21/04/2023 22:34

Thank you @Stravaig

Original poster
Random789 · 21/04/2023 22:37

I expect they will use it for weather that is severe enough to have its own name - Storm Keith, Stiff Breeze Emily, etc

OP posts:
TheRookie · 21/04/2023 22:37

ApplesandOrangesandPears · 21/04/2023 22:16

I'm dreading it - I will be at work in a public place where there will be a lot of people with phones on all going off at once. Yes it's only 10 seconds but it will be 10 seconds of very loud noise that I can't get away from. I really struggle with loud noises (I have some sensory issues) and 10 seconds can feel like a very long time when the noise is causing horrible physical sensations.

How loud do you think it's going to be?! It's not going to like an air raid siren or as loud as a fire alarm! You could be anywhere and a fire alarm goes off or a police car goes past, how do you deal with that? At least you will be expecting this and be able to prepare.

summersoonsurely · 21/04/2023 22:39

This is really nothing to be worried about. Just go to your phones settings and opt out of receiving them if you don't want them

slowquickstep · 21/04/2023 22:41

Bloody hell it is a 10 second alert what the hell is the issue, is it really going to cause a problem ? Do you all turn your smoke alarms off in case they go off and cause you anxiety ? FFS get a grip

FictionalCharacter · 21/04/2023 22:43

Random789 · 21/04/2023 22:29

If the UK is late to the party with the emergency alert I think that is fair enough. We don't have earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, typhoons, gunmen in nursery schools, etc, so it hasn't been quite as pressing. But worth setting up for ... not sure, really, but I'm sure it will come in handy one day.

When I was a child there were still decrepit wind-up siren things about which I guess were from WW2, even though that had ended 25 or 30 years before. I have this memory - or false memory - that they used to be tested on Fridays

Apart from flood alerts and gun attacks, which do happen in the UK though rarely - the terrorism threat level in the UK is Substantial and the threat level in NI of NI related terrorism is Severe. That alone is good enough reason for having an emergency alert system.
If they don't want the alerts people can turn them off in their phones.

user1496146479 · 21/04/2023 22:45

aberlot · 21/04/2023 21:27

@VisionsOfSplendour

Exactly, I heard the sound on the radio, it wasn't even terribly alarming

It's not the sound that bothers me. I have switched it off because of the invasive nature of it. When you live with hyper vigilance you take a lot of steps to keep your home life as predictable and therefore as calm as possible. Unexpected alerts do the opposite. Being aware that it could happen just makes feeds hyper vigilance.

Right.....

VanGoghsDog · 21/04/2023 22:45

mrsm43s · 21/04/2023 21:44

I genuinely don't understand the issue with this.

It's testing a system to give us advance warning if and when a national emergency happens. I'd like to be given the opportunity to get to safety if that happens!

We've been warned in advance of the test, and so know what to expect.

What problem exactly do people have with it? They'd rather NOT be alerted and have the chance to get to safety in an emergency or they'd rather the system was left untested and might fail in the case of an emergency?

I wasn't that bothered really - will put my work phone into airplane mode, and on my own phone I'll just do whatever is needed to stop it.

But my mum is in hospital. She can't manage her phone currently. Most people on the ward are pretty out of it. I pity the poor nurses at 3pm Sunday. I'm going to try to be there then so it doesn't upset or confuse mum. I don't know how to turn it off on her phone and I can't leave her phone off or in airplane mode between visits.

Re the person who said their husband got a load of alerts - I used to get them on my current phone, so annoying, all the time and they always look really important. I eventually found out how to stop them, so I'm interested to see if this new thing bypasses whatever I turned off or is some different system.

ApplesandOrangesandPears · 21/04/2023 22:46

TheRookie · 21/04/2023 22:37

How loud do you think it's going to be?! It's not going to like an air raid siren or as loud as a fire alarm! You could be anywhere and a fire alarm goes off or a police car goes past, how do you deal with that? At least you will be expecting this and be able to prepare.

Show quote history

I don't deal well with those things either to be honest, I have noise cancelling earbuds that I wear a lot but I can't wear those in work. It's the fact that there will be multiple phones going off all at once from all directions. I don't even cope well in places like shopping centres and supermarkets, so things don't necessarily have to be overly loud for me to struggle.

FeliciteFaff · 21/04/2023 22:46

Gosh op. You need to calm down 😂

Namastaymyassathome · 21/04/2023 22:49

I doubt everyone’s will go off at exactly the same time. I live in a country that already has this system and off the top of my head I can think of four occasions I’ve received the alert. Two have been in the last few months, due to severe weather events.

My husband and I have surnames that start with letters at opposite ends of the alphabet. There was a significant gap between his alert and my alert (maybe 20 mins or so although I can’t remember exactly).

We also had it a couple of years while we were driving, and whilst it’s a sound designed to get your attention, it didn’t trigger carnage on the road (which a pp is predicting).

drpet49 · 21/04/2023 22:50

noeverrest · 21/04/2023 21:20

Honestly I think people are making a massive fuss about nothing. If you don't want it on turn it off on your phone and get on with life.

This. It’s all rather pathetic how people getting going on about it.

Original poster
Random789 · 21/04/2023 22:53

My husband and I have surnames that start with letters at opposite ends of the alphabet. There was a significant gap between his alert and my alert

I guess that means that, post-apocalypse, we will have far more survivors from the first half of the alphabet than the second half? Not fair, really, but I'm not going to complain as my surname will be one of the earliest into the bunker.

OP posts: