B.C. residents can expect an alert on their phones as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.
On Wednesday, May 8 at 1:55 p.m. the Ready Alert System will broadcast an emergency test over radio, television and compatible wireless devices, like smart phones.
A similar test alert was issued around the same time last year and was met with mixed results. Some people reported not getting the message, and in Quebec and Ontario the mobile alerts didn’t work due to a programming error. Had there been an actual emergency, the system would have failed.
The system was built following an order from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to wireless providers to implement warnings concerning public safety. The CRTC has also suggested the system be used to circulate Amber Alerts.
While the text going out this week is only a test, flooding and forest fires in recent years have heightened the importance of proper emergency planning, according to the government.
Jennifer Rice, parliamentary secretary for emergency preparedness, says that being personally proactive is your best way to protect yourself and your family.
“There’s no one level of government that will save us,” Rice told CTV News.
The government’s plan covers three keys steps to get ready in case of an emergency:
- Knowing the hazards in your local area (flooding, forest fires, etc.).
- Making a plan to keep focused and safe in an emergency whether at work or at home.
- Build an emergency kit put together go-bags in case of little evacuation warning.
Rice stresses the importance of having a kit because many people are still without one.
“I think it is something on our to-do list but we never get around to it,” she said.
How prepared are British Columbians in case of an emergency? Residents can check out the government’s preparedness survey to see if they’re ready.
