In less than an hour, Ontario will be issuing public test messages through Alert Ready, Canada’s emergency alerting system.
The test message will be distributed over television, radio and to compatible wireless devices at 1:55 p.m local time.
The first test occurred during Emergency Preparedness Week in May 2018.
The purpose of the Alert Ready system is to enable government agencies to deliver emergency alerts to residents in Ontario during threat-to-life situations. These include fires, natural disasters, release of dangerous substances, air quality issues, terrorist threats and civil emergencies. These alerts have been delivered via television and radio since 2015 and to compatible wireless devices since April 2018.
Not all Ontarians will receive the test alert on their wireless devices for reasons such as device compatibility, connection to an LTE network, cell tower coverage, device and software settings.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has set a target that 50 per cent of new devices currently available for sale in Canada must be compatible with Alert Ready. This target will increase to 100 per cent by April 2019.
For more information, visit http://www.alertready.ca.