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Original poster

The government's alarm for major incidents.

58 replies

Justmuddlingalong · 20/10/2023 16:52

After all the hoo-ha about the government alerting us about major incidents in the UK, testing the system and telling us all about it, you'd have thought that the recent weather and all the mayhem it's brought, now would have been the time to use it.

OP posts:
gotomomo · 20/10/2023 18:06

Threat to life eg floods tend to be very localised, just certain streets - the telephone system isn't that precise

thelittlefox · 20/10/2023 18:52

I was with four other people when they did the first emergency test, and only one of us actually got the alert.

But thinking back to when lockdown started, we all got the government "COVID-19 stay at home" text on our phones. So they could obviously make it work all those years ago.

I wonder who is managing these alerts; if it's one of these "special" contractors the government are fond of, that take a shitload of public money and come up with a shiny new system that's not fit for purpose...

DerangedViper · 20/10/2023 19:01

I think the red and amber warnings have been extremely well publicised. The need to evacuate is very localised, and I've seen nothing to suggest that people haven't been told in time (whether they've been heeded is another matter).

I'm not sure what other message needed to be sent in these circumstances.

Can the national system be regionalised? If so, to how small an area?

GodblessHookyStreet · 20/10/2023 19:03

Favouritefruits · 20/10/2023 17:04

@LucyEwing of course it’s a major incident! People have died, homes and businesses have been destroyed! Or is the another “anything past the Midlands doesn’t exist?” …..

100% This

Blueplaque · 20/10/2023 19:05

The weather has been much worse than forecast in the East Midlands and a lot of severe flooding. We’re under a yellow warning but think it should’ve really have been amber.

CesareBorgia · 20/10/2023 19:06

The testing of the system was such a cock-up, I suspect it has been quietly shelved.

Longma · 20/10/2023 19:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. at the request of it's author.

DerangedViper · 20/10/2023 19:11

Cas112 · 20/10/2023 17:37

It's for like nuclear bombs and threats of war attacks etc or a natural disaster that's could be fatal for most life. Not a storm

See the screenshot linked above. It gives three examples of scenarios when alerts might be used

  • severe flooding
  • fires
  • extreme weather

So these are circumstances where the system could potentially be used. But it seems none of the emergency services or other bodies involved in flood management saw the need

Heyhoherewegoagain · 20/10/2023 19:11

blacksax · 20/10/2023 17:20

I know it says to be used for flooding, but surely that would be for a Boscastle - type event, or something like a reservoir dam in imminent danger of collapse where they have to evacuate on a large scale as a matter of extreme urgency.

You mean like the town in Angus where people have been evacuated over the past 24 hours?

Guiltyfeethavegotnorhythm0 · 20/10/2023 19:17

In a lot of areas in Scotland medical apps . and public transport has been cancelled anyway and in my case I would have had difficulty getting to the hospital anyway due road closures .

tigger1001 · 20/10/2023 19:20

Cas112 · 20/10/2023 17:37

It's for like nuclear bombs and threats of war attacks etc or a natural disaster that's could be fatal for most life. Not a storm

If that's what it's got then it's useless.

In the event of a nuclear bomb - we are dead.

It is for evacuation orders - but instead they went door to door apparently.

Biggest waste of money

Jellykat · 20/10/2023 19:30

CesareBorgia · 20/10/2023 19:06

The testing of the system was such a cock-up, I suspect it has been quietly shelved.

This... so many people didnt receive it.. and then it was never mentioned again was it?
Wonder how much it all costed? 🙄

WeighDownOnMeStayTillMorning · 20/10/2023 19:38

I'm just going to say again....we got the alert in my area.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 20/10/2023 19:47

@WeighDownOnMeStayTillMorning

That's interesting, and presumably good that it was targeted to an affected area. What did it say, was it info you knew from the media already or was it new emergency information?

Iamanunsafebuilding · 20/10/2023 19:50

Needmorelego · 20/10/2023 17:43

@Cas112 actually storms is one of the things it's meant to be for.
@Justmuddlingalong the test wasn't hugely successful. It didn't work for a lot of people (despite government saying it was...🙄). I am guessing as it didn't work they couldn't use it for this storm.
Apparently the USA had a national test a couple of weeks ago - that was a massive cock up too with many people not getting the alarm. It seems the technology isn't quite ready yet.

We were in the US when they did that test and my phone went off but not DH's. Seems a bit flaky everywhere!

Aaron95 · 20/10/2023 19:55

crumblingschools · 20/10/2023 17:43

Some places are on a red alert, you would think it would have been used for the area they had to evacuate

They only evacuated 400 houses in one part of Brechin. The system isn't that specific. It would have sent that alert to the whole town.

orchardsquare · 20/10/2023 19:55

We were on an amber warning but it should have been red - it was much worse than expected and yes, op is right, this is exactly the type of thing we were told these alerts were for.

Bramblecrumble22 · 20/10/2023 19:55

People love a good moan. Pp claims it was used. Who is saying it wasn't. I'm glad it was used in a targeted way.

WeighDownOnMeStayTillMorning · 20/10/2023 20:09

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 20/10/2023 19:47

@WeighDownOnMeStayTillMorning

That's interesting, and presumably good that it was targeted to an affected area. What did it say, was it info you knew from the media already or was it new emergency information?

Not sure we're on holiday but got about 50 texts from friends and family saying they had received it 😆

theprincessthepea · 20/10/2023 20:23

They have made a big deal about it on the news. I’m not in Scotland but was concerned. I don’t actually know how the UK announce emergencies such as these and evacuation plans. It’s so sad.

potatoheads · 21/10/2023 06:17

Cas112 · 20/10/2023 17:37

It's for like nuclear bombs and threats of war attacks etc or a natural disaster that's could be fatal for most life. Not a storm

Not regular storms but those alerts are def for red alert danger to life storms. Or at least they are in other countries. As others have said, major weather incidents like flooding, major roads being closed due to impending storm are what those alerts are used for

potatoheads · 21/10/2023 06:20

Needmorelego · 20/10/2023 17:43

@Cas112 actually storms is one of the things it's meant to be for.
@Justmuddlingalong the test wasn't hugely successful. It didn't work for a lot of people (despite government saying it was...🙄). I am guessing as it didn't work they couldn't use it for this storm.
Apparently the USA had a national test a couple of weeks ago - that was a massive cock up too with many people not getting the alarm. It seems the technology isn't quite ready yet.

The technology is very much ready. Many countries have used this system for years. I was in NZ last year when they had a typhoons and and the alarm was sent. Japan uses them. Parts of Europe do. It's a very widespread tool

Needmorelego · 21/10/2023 09:49

@potatoheads yes the system seems to work when the alarm doesn't have to cover an entire country at the same time.
When the UK test happened I didn't get the alarm. Turns out my phone was too old. By "old" it was about 4 years old. I expect many people would have phones of a similar vintage !

potatoheads · 21/10/2023 09:53

Needmorelego · 21/10/2023 09:49

@potatoheads yes the system seems to work when the alarm doesn't have to cover an entire country at the same time.
When the UK test happened I didn't get the alarm. Turns out my phone was too old. By "old" it was about 4 years old. I expect many people would have phones of a similar vintage !

Most of the time the alarm won't be required for the whole country. Most emergencies are location specific. Nuclear war is not the most likely scenario. Having said that, if the tech works regionally it should be able to function nationally. I guess as long as a critical mass of people get the alarm then it will still be of significant value.

Needmorelego · 21/10/2023 09:57

@potatoheads yes it would be very rare for the whole country to need a simultaneous alarm - even one geographically small like the UK.
From what I read about the American test was it was simply too much for the whole country at the same time and many people were confused because they already get the regional tornado/earthquake/snowstorm alerts just fine.
Anyways...it seems some people did get an alarm up in Scotland. So it semi -worked.