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Government alert?!?!

694 replies

hotmumshit · 14/08/2026 19:02

Uh Oh Wow GIF by Bounce

Omg? First use of the government phone alerts, i think??

OP posts:
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14
bittertwisted · 16/08/2026 11:34

Enfrancais · 14/08/2026 19:08

It shouldn't be for information purposes but for actual danger.

Are you in charge of fire service disaster planning?

bittertwisted · 16/08/2026 11:38

Greenshed · 15/08/2026 22:11

Why the hysteria from some of you? The purpose of these alerts are to warn us of potential danger or to be aware of potential danger. I will hazard a guess that some of you getting in a tizz over these messages would also be saying “why weren’t we warned” if we hadn’t been.
Read the message right through, stop panicking. As in the comedy, remember, ‘Don’t panic, Captain Mainwaring’ 😊

A general alert is to make us all aware - many, many areas within the UK are tinder dry - anywhere in these regions is a potential fire hazard, and unfortunately there are people out there stupid enough to discard a cigarette end or light one of those instant barbecues, (or, even worse, deliberately start a fire), without thinking about the potentially devastating consequences of their actions. If these alerts help to stop some of these thoughtless individuals in their tracks, then they are well worth sending out. Just because your area hasn’t been affected on this occasion does not mean it never can be. Be grateful that these alerts are in existence instead of moaning about them, and be grateful that it isn’t your home that has just been burnt down as is the case for those poor souls in Stourbridge.

Absolutely ridiculous isn’t it. The fire service will have incredibly robust disaster recovery and major incident protocols. They will practice these over and over again
Petsonally I’m all for them deciding to
assess the level of threat relating to wildfires

it doesn’t mean Andy burnham is trying to ruin my evening

notimagain · 16/08/2026 11:40

bittertwisted · 16/08/2026 11:34

Are you in charge of fire service disaster planning?

No idea what they that poster does but in many industries (particularly transport) experience and loss of life has shown that if your alerting system doesn't discriminate clearly and immediately between problems that really need your attention now (e.g. wildfire 500 metres unwind of you) and problems of a less urgent nature ("don't light BBQs anywhere in the UK ) you are setting the system up for failure when it is really needed.

Etiennethemad · 16/08/2026 13:20

TWWGMTW · 14/08/2026 19:03

Really freaked me out

I thought that, maybe, Putin had nuked Whitehall but it was only about wildfires.

DamnedIfIDoDamnedIfIDont · 16/08/2026 14:04

15minutesaday · 14/08/2026 21:17

Yesterday's news mentioned that you can report any fires in the open such as bbqs, camp fires, etc. to the Police via 101.

Thank you i wasn’t aware of that. Makes sense aa fore crews are inundated with fires. Bless them and everyone affected

dottiedodah · 16/08/2026 14:25

I think it was a good thing.Something like 37 wildfires are currently burning and we are currently cut off from Southampton as the A31 is still alight /not safe a week later ! A whole row of homes burning and a stray ember catches off we go like a tinderbox!

Oldwmn · 16/08/2026 14:43

Nousernameideaaga · 14/08/2026 19:05

Yes

Yep, this is exactly what these alerts are for. Those who are poo -pooing it are demonstrating how dim & selfish they are.

YellowMellow99 · 16/08/2026 17:46

NewAchievement · 14/08/2026 19:06

Pain in the ass! I’ve switched mine off now

Edited

Same! Switched mine off years ago. Didn’t get anything. It’s common sense not to start fires outside when it’s hot and hasn’t rained in weeks.

Sesma · 16/08/2026 19:03

It's not like you miss anything if it's off, there are immediate news alerts and umpteen threads on MN and other places about it. Just means you don't have that racket blaring out

MsDitsy · 16/08/2026 21:39

Made me jump but it was no worse than if I had set an alarm. I definitely wasn't terrified nor did I nearly die.

Love him or hate him, Burnham is correct in that Britain is a tinderbox right now, and people are losing everything, homes, possessions, hopefully not lives. Locally, on Facebook, there are photos of people still having BBQs in the dunes. In a nearby village, a small garden fire got out of hand an a garage, fences and neighbouring gardens were destroyed. Not everyone is thst stupid but you can't tell the morons from the sensible, so it had to just go out to all. I won't be turning it off, it didn't traumatise me and the next one might be even more important.

leavesinthebreeze · 17/08/2026 08:06

Stupid twats near me set off fireworks last night and caused a fire next to a recycling centre 🤦🏽‍♀️

scalt · 17/08/2026 10:22

The burning (pun intended) question is: next time our phones buzz frantically, will people reach for them wondering how they are about to die, or will they sigh and think “whatever”?

GasPanic · 17/08/2026 10:26

I was annoyed. I was driving and the car has been acting up. I thought it was something major like a gearbox or engine failure and was looking frantically at the dashboard to try and figure out what had happened.

I think the government needs to save it for real emergencies. For other less serious stuff then there should be an alternate way of notifying people, maybe just a standard text message with a special beep, rather than the full on sirens.

Hopefully when it goes off next time I will have remembered what it sounds like.

GasPanic · 17/08/2026 10:29

notimagain · 16/08/2026 11:40

No idea what they that poster does but in many industries (particularly transport) experience and loss of life has shown that if your alerting system doesn't discriminate clearly and immediately between problems that really need your attention now (e.g. wildfire 500 metres unwind of you) and problems of a less urgent nature ("don't light BBQs anywhere in the UK ) you are setting the system up for failure when it is really needed.

This really. The more trivial "non urgent" things they are used for, the more people will have a tendency to ignore them. Or turn them off, which completely defeats the purpose.

Easterchicken · 17/08/2026 19:14

Anyone who was terrified or traumatised by it needs to seek help

It wasn't that loud it wasn't that intrusive it just bleeped

I get people with a second phone may have worried if they have one due to DV and safety (however in my role on social care I have never encountered someone having a 2nd phone for safety... Mainly for dodgy reasons) but it was not that shocking

One woman I know hadna huge Facebook rant stating her loud obnoxious children were too traumatised for bed.

It really wasn't that bad

12234m · 17/08/2026 19:50

Made me jump and scared my elderly cat.

Apparently prison governors are happy. Alerted them to all the hidden phones..

DoraSpenlow · 17/08/2026 20:17

YellowMellow99 · 16/08/2026 17:46

Same! Switched mine off years ago. Didn’t get anything. It’s common sense not to start fires outside when it’s hot and hasn’t rained in weeks.

Common sense is something that is sadly lacking in many members of the great British public. Just ask anyone who works is retail or hospitality.

ThisAgileScroller · 17/08/2026 23:24

On the way to the football match. All the people on the main road walking up went off at the same time was hilarious. Wveryone pulled their phone out as if to say what is that 😳

JustSawJohnny · 18/08/2026 00:26

Jc2001 · 14/08/2026 20:12

If I were you I'd be shitting myself over how easy it is was for me to shit myself.

Edited

If I were you I'd learn what sarcasm means.

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