Alberta will participate in national alert test Wednesday afternoon

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on November 19, 2024.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

On Wednesday at 1:55 p.m, Alberta will participate in a test of the National Public Alerting System.

“Nobody likes an alert disruption, but tests such as these allow us to fix system issues. These tests, which are typically conducted every May and November, help ensure the system works properly so Albertans can receive life-saving information during an actual emergency, including tornadoes, wildfires, floods and Amber Alerts,” Mike Ellis, minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, says in a release.

The test will be issued across multiple channels, including TV, radio, wireless devices, websites, social media, the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app and directly to compatible cellphones across the province.

Cellphones must be compatible with the system, connected to an LTE 4G network or higher, or connected to Wi-Fi with the Alberta Emergency Alert app installed. If a device is set to silent, it will display the alert but may not play the notification sound.

Ellis encourages all residents to download the Alberta Emergency Alert app, which delivers these warnings directly to their phones.

“There are a number of simple steps we can all take to be more prepared,” he says. “Emergencies can strike without warning, but with some planning, we can reduce the impact on our lives and protect the people we care about.”

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