Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

Emergency siren

60 replies

FelineUK · 19/03/2023 10:48

www.gov.uk/alerts

So on 23rd April there will be a test of an emergency siren. This can be national or local and can be used to alert to inform the population of emergency situations such as severe flooding, fires or weather. It will come to ones mobile.

Maybe im being a little suspicious but i hardly think these emergency situations are relevant to most people locally unless the government are using these as a reason to implement such a system in case of severe national emergency such as war.

OP posts:
WinterMusings · 19/03/2023 10:50

Well, there are quite a few threads now, it's been in the planning & announced PRE Putin invading Ukraine.

have a read if the other threads, tgeyre interesting.

CC4712 · 19/03/2023 10:52

There are already multiple threads about this now!

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4766348-emergency-alerts-to-your-phone?page=3&reply=124753619

gogohmm · 19/03/2023 10:54

Most western countries already have this system in place. Can be used for weather, civil and other emergencies. Eg in Germany when there was a recent shooting, everyone in a mile radius was told to stay inside and lock doors until they could ascertain what happened and if the shooter was dead (he was in this case), in Japan it's used for typhoon warnings as another example.

In the U.K. it could be useful for flood alerts (we technically are in a flood area), it would also be useful if they could warn us they are doing a police exercise, they use our development frequently for armed response training, it's a bit disconcerting seeing the swat van pass, knowing it a just an exercise would be good.

We already have emergency sirens here but you don't get information from them, they are tested monthly

Nimbostratus100 · 19/03/2023 10:54

This has been in the pipeline for many years, and is long overdue.

airstrike, terrorism, meteor, flood, snow, hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, kidnapping

all possible, but unlikely, but we no longer have air raid sirens available, so a replacement has always been inevitable

premicrois · 19/03/2023 10:57

I actually hadn't seen other thread about it so thank you OP.

Also. We can't prevent this from happening? Like I'm just going to be strolling round Tesco while my phone starts shrieking an alarm?

WeddingVegetables · 19/03/2023 11:01

There were tests last year. I received multiple alerts on my phone. Even though the U.K gets relatively few natural disasters compared to many countries, it makes sense to have an alert system in place for floods and fires for example, and considering climate change, those will become increasingly common. It's also useful for a terrorist attack and probably a whole bunch of other things that I haven't considered. It's already standard in many countries.

MyriadOfTravels · 19/03/2023 11:23

@gogohmm i disagree. It’s not ‘most’ western countries who have that system, far from. The us, the Netherland, Germany are the only ones I know about. That leaves many others Wo it.

And even if many countries used it, it doesn’t mean it a good idea.

ive removed the alarm from my phone. I don’t need another source if anxiety in my life. Is it going to ring? What’s that noise? Phone blaring when I’m driving and can’t stop it. Nope.
Not to be told there is an Amber alert on the weather or there is a risk if flooding when I’m top of the hill etc….

premicrois · 19/03/2023 11:25

ive removed the alarm from my phone.

How do you do this please?

Nimbostratus100 · 19/03/2023 11:26

why not give it a try? Why not be immediately informed of an immediate danger?

PlateBilledDuckyPerson · 19/03/2023 11:27

premicrois · 19/03/2023 10:57

I actually hadn't seen other thread about it so thank you OP.

Also. We can't prevent this from happening? Like I'm just going to be strolling round Tesco while my phone starts shrieking an alarm?

Don't worry, everyone else's phone will be going off too!

MyriadOfTravels · 19/03/2023 11:27

@WeddingVegetables what do you think would happen in case if terrorist attack?
Genuinely, a bomb has gone off near by and …. What will you do?
There is a guy firing at people in pubs near where you are. What do you do? Hide in the loos until he has been arrested?

Until someone has explained to me what you’re supposed to do and how it can actually be helpful rather than increasing fear within the population, I’m nit buying it.

PlateBilledDuckyPerson · 19/03/2023 11:27

premicrois · 19/03/2023 11:25

ive removed the alarm from my phone.

How do you do this please?

What sort of phone do you have?

DPotter · 19/03/2023 11:30

Last summer while on holiday in the USA we received emergency text about forest fires. Personally have no problem with the alerts.

I can still recall the weekly air raid siren test going off. Now that was loud

Nimbostratus100 · 19/03/2023 11:31

MyriadOfTravels · 19/03/2023 11:27

@WeddingVegetables what do you think would happen in case if terrorist attack?
Genuinely, a bomb has gone off near by and …. What will you do?
There is a guy firing at people in pubs near where you are. What do you do? Hide in the loos until he has been arrested?

Until someone has explained to me what you’re supposed to do and how it can actually be helpful rather than increasing fear within the population, I’m nit buying it.

The explanation will come with the alert- eg- meteor strike, stay indoors, tsunami, move uphill, etc

Aposterhasnoname · 19/03/2023 11:31

premicrois · 19/03/2023 10:57

I actually hadn't seen other thread about it so thank you OP.

Also. We can't prevent this from happening? Like I'm just going to be strolling round Tesco while my phone starts shrieking an alarm?

Along with everyone else’s. And yes you can opt out in your settings apparently.

WeddingVegetables · 19/03/2023 11:36

WeddingVegetables what do you think would happen in case if terrorist attack?
Genuinely, a bomb has gone off near by and …. What will you do?
There is a guy firing at people in pubs near where you are. What do you do? Hide in the loos until he has been arrested?

You really can't see how it'd be useful to told to take cover or leave an area? Generally yes, I would take action in such an event. Whether that'd be to evacuate an area or hide would depend on what's advised, they can give specific advice as to what do do, head for higher ground/stay indoors/prepare to evacuate etc and my exact location but I'd rather know to avoid the vicinity of X street where there's currently men running about stabbing random people than go about oblivious and increase my chances of running into a bad situation.

premicrois · 19/03/2023 11:42

Along with everyone else’s. And yes you can opt out in your settings apparently.

It doesn't matter about anyone else's, I am talking specifically about my phone and obviously 'in Tesco' was just an example of how random it will be

premicrois · 19/03/2023 11:43

@PlateBilledDuckyPerson

What sort of phone do you have?

It's an iPhone, I have looked in the settings but can't see anything

premicrois · 19/03/2023 11:44

@PlateBilledDuckyPerson

Don't worry, everyone else's phone will be going off too!

That doesn't take anything away from mine going off.

whatyoulookingfor · 19/03/2023 11:47

I got off a plane in Greece in 2021 and immediately got one of these messages about a risk to dear from flooding from the Greek Government!! Not how I anticipated my holiday going!!

It's just a text message.

Anonaymoose · 19/03/2023 11:48

I don't see the point. We can get the same Information through the news. Pretty sure if an emergency news broadcast came on we'd all hear about it.
I'm concerned about this for other reasons though. I work in a vets, if our phones go off unexpectedly in the middle of a procedure we could be injured by a patient panicking and it could have detrimental effects if we're in the middle of inducing anaesthesia where we generally need silence.
One of our patients freaked out and became aggressive when the fire alarm in the next building was tested last week! Loud noises and sick animals do not mix! I'll be turning it off.

PlateBilledDuckyPerson · 19/03/2023 11:49

premicrois · 19/03/2023 11:43

@PlateBilledDuckyPerson

What sort of phone do you have?

It's an iPhone, I have looked in the settings but can't see anything

Go into settings/notifications and scroll right down to the bottom - it should be a toggle under 'emergency alerts' and 'severe alerts'.

Natsku · 19/03/2023 11:51

The sirens can be used for all kinds of things, like in my town a few years ago when there was some accident at a nearby factory releasing toxic gas clouds and people needed to be warned to stay indoors, closing all windows and vents.

CoffeeWithCheese · 19/03/2023 11:53

IPhone (I'm not 100% up to date on version but fairly close): If you go into Options > Settings > Notifications and scroll to the bottom in the menu there are two options there for extreme alerts and emergency alerts - I've got them disabled. I don't want to receive them - I have lots of notifications muted on my phone anyway as people's general view of "their shit I want to read" does not tend to tally with my own view of "their shit I actually want to read" and if bad stuff is going down to the level that it's warranted the Govt bothering me about it - it'll be inescapable anyway or it'll be political nudge bullshit which I'm not paying out for MY mobile phone contract to be hassled for.

If it's the big one nuclear strike heading our way - I'd rather not fucking know to be honest. If it's flooding or stuff - I'm likely to know anyway or realise rather rapidly when my feet are wet and the cat's swimming past my car.