B.C. to test provincewide emergency alert system on May 6

The British Columbia government says a test of its emergency alert system will be sent to cellphones, television and radio across the province at 1:55 p.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, May 6, as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.

According to a provincial news release, the alert will be clearly marked as a test and will not require any action from the public. The message will be pushed to compatible mobile devices and will interrupt broadcast programming on radio and TV.

Officials say the test is part of a coordinated national exercise of the National Public Alerting System, which involves federal, provincial and territorial governments along with telecommunications partners. The system is tested twice a year in British Columbia to improve reliability and ensure the public recognizes the alerts.

To receive the alert, the province says cellphones must be turned on, connected to an LTE network, not set to airplane mode or “do not disturb,” and be compatible with wireless public alerting. Devices must also be within the alert area and running up-to-date software.

The province says emergency alerts are used to deliver urgent, life-saving information during events such as wildfires, floods, landslides, tsunamis and extreme heat. Environment and Climate Change Canada issues alerts for severe weather, while Natural Resources Canada can send earthquake early warnings. Police agencies are responsible for alerts related to public safety incidents, including Amber Alerts.