Police warn against calling 911 to complain about today's emergency alert test
Police are urging Canadians to refrain from calling 911 to complain about the emergency alert system testing taking place across the country today.
Barrie and Peel Police in Ontario sent out reminders on Twitter, warning residents that dialling 911 to complain about the emergency alert creates delays for those experiencing real emergencies.
BE AWARE!
Today at 2:55pm, a national test of the Alert Ready system is taking place.
Please don’t call 911 for information about the test.
Using 911 for non-emergency calls could delay help for people experiencing real emergencies
Visit ➡️ https://t.co/WZpDsVZgCs pic.twitter.com/sfHUOQy2Vu
— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) November 27, 2019
A national test of the Alert Ready system is taking place at 2:55 p.m. today. Please do not call 911 for information about the test. Using 911 for non-emergency calls could delay help for people experiencing real emergencies. pic.twitter.com/s94DZqXROh
— Barrie Police (@BarriePolice) November 27, 2019
Over the past year, Ontario police have dealt with residents calling 911 to complain about Amber Alerts disrupting them.
Police have issued multiple warnings about these calls backing up the system.
According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC),
all provincial and territorial emergency management organizations will conduct public alerting tests across the country, except for Nunavut, this afternoon at the following times:
- BC – 1:55 PM PST
- Alberta -1:55 PM MST
- Ontario – 2:55 PM EST
- Quebec -1:55 PM EST
As per the CRTC, test alerts should appear on every updated and compatible mobile device connected to an LTE (long-term evolution) wireless network, television, radio, its website, and social media accounts.
Depending on the service provider, phones will either sound off or buzz for eight seconds during the testing. For more information about Alert Ready, and to hear the alert, click here.
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