On Sunday 23 April, the UK Government are testing a new emergency alert system.

The new service will alert people if there is a nearby danger to life due to events such as:

• severe flooding
• fires
• extreme weather

Alerts will only be sent by the emergency services or by government services that deal with emergencies. When the alert goes off, mobile telephones and tablets will make a loud noise like a siren and vibrate, for 10 seconds – even if they are on silent. It will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.

The Government advise that when you hear the alert, stop what you are doing and follow the instructions.

For anybody who has a concealed phone for their own safety, such as someone experiencing domestic abuse, there is an option to opt out. The Government does not advise opting out from a primary telephone.

To stop the alert on a telephone turning the sound off or down will not work – the alert siren will still sound.

To opt out of the alert:

Search in device settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
Anyone who still gets alerts is advised to contact your device manufacturer for help.

For more information go to: How emergency alerts work – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)