To think the government should retest the mobile phone emergency alert?

[listsandbudgets]

For some reason I had an horrendous nightmare last night about a scenario where this didn't work and it got me thinking.

You may remember that they did this a couple of years ago maybe more so that all mobile phones would alert at once.

To my knowledge they've not tested it since. It's not that (apart from in my nightmares) I'm particularly expecting an emergency but wouldn't it be better for them to identify any issues that could have developed with the system before they actually need it? I'm not a techy but I could imagine things like phone software and security updates might have caused issues.

It seems sensible that it would be tested say once a year doesn't it.

I didn’t get the last one and have been totally unable to work out why. It really stressed me out. DH didn’t think to mention it as he assumed I’d got it too and while I’ve asked him to tell me about any future ones, I worry he won’t remember.

But this is FOMO on my part more than thinking it would actually contain any info I can’t get from news sites.

Thats so weird, I was thinking about the emergency alert as well last night :P

It would be sensible, like checking the fire alarms systems work in public buildings etc.

@shesamarshmallow the trouble is that by the time you've managed to look at the news sites it may be too late

I agree it should be retested. It didn't work for a lot of people last time, so hopefully someone been working on it. I can only think that they haven't sorted it out ready for a retest yet

I never bothered with the last one, and I wouldn't bother with another one. My phone is always on silent, and often in a different room. For most people, it would be pointless and unnecessary.

It has been used on 23/2/24 to warn residents in Plymouth of risk from an unexploded WW2 bomb. Just not newsworthy when something works.

I don't really see the point. If we haven't been given drills for whatever disaster is about to strike, what good will it do. Genuinely sorry if I'm missing something here.

I've turned it off so they can do what they like!

Exactly. It's been used

No. It's a load of old town. I won't know anyone who didn't make sure their phone would receive it.

So many things seem to have fallen by the wayside these days.
I've had to spend good-earned money on an alarm clock since these people can't be bothered anymore. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knocker-up

Two out of three of us didn't get the alert last time. Surely they should have done something at the time to improve the way it was sent. Perhaps to the lowest common denominator type phone rather than the newest. I think mine should have got it but didn't, my DH's is an elderly work phone which was probably a bit too primitive. Only the young and tech savvy need to be warned apparently.

interesting most of you disagree with me.

@ginasevern does make a very good point that we'd most likely have no idea what to do anyway!!

I'm glad it was used in Plymouth - I didn't know it had been. At least that's a test of sorts.

True. I wouldn't know what to do, I'd probably just ring my mum and we'd both be clueless together.

I was on a girls weekend away the last time It was tested & only 3 of our group got the alert. Not that any of us were bothered!

I think it’s a bit pointless really.

Almost no-one would have anywhere actually safe they couoe go from ballistic missile, aerial bombardment or nuclear attack.

it’s not like Israel where people have bunkers :(

probablt more useful if a non- military local disaster or extreme weather event …

I turned it off. I cannot think of a scenario where I want to know anything the government thinks I want to know. It would make me jump for starters, others or the media can alert me. I don’t want an emergency alert should the King snuff it, for example. I could be driving.

It worked well in Plymouth apparently. If had alerts overseas too despite having a U.K. registered phone

Most people on the Three network or networks that piggyback their network (giffgaff etc) didn't get it. What Network are you with?

@2MargerinesOnTheGo

It's used for civil emergencies overseas like eg volcanic eruption, could also be used in a crime situation and where we live there's a siren system for chemical factories but my double glazing is too good so useful then

It's for localised flash flooding, natural disaster type alerts, nuclear threats and chemical warfare. Its not because the King has died ffs 🙄

@since1986

Giffgaff is on O2 and it worked just fine

So people want a mass panic warning so this will help their anxiety OK why?