Don't be alarmed: B.C. will be testing its emergency alert system soon | Daily Hive

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Don’t be alarmed when you hear your phone go off on Wednesday, May 7, because B.C. will be testing the Emergency Alert System that day.

This process is part of the national emergency alert system, which is tested twice yearly.

Wednesday’s alert will be sent out at 1:55 p.m. PDT.

The notification will be sent to cellphones, TVs, and radios. To be clear, it’s a test and not a real emergency.

In advance of the test, some carriers may do silent tests for their systems, states the province online.

Those who have an app on their phone notifying them of emergency information may also receive the alert test there.

The test message you’ll receive may look like this:

“This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”

The real alerts typically go out for Amber alerts and tsunami warnings. In 2022, the Alert Ready system was expanded to incorporate warnings about floods and wildfires, two things becoming uncomfortably common in the province.

To receive the alert, your phone must be connected to an LTE cellular network, be alert-compatible, be within the alert area, and have up-to-date cellular software. Visit the Alert Ready website to learn more and see if it’ll work with your phone.

The next emergency alert test will take place on Nov. 19, 2025.

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With files from Sarah Anderson and Megan Devlin

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