VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Starting today, Canadians won’t have to be near a television or radio to receive emergency alerts.
Life-threatening emergencies will now be broadcast on compatible mobile phones.
Click here to check if your phone is compatible.
As of today, the National Public Alerting System — commonly called Alert Ready — will include wireless networks, in addition to traditional broadcast channels.
In the case of a life-threatening emergency, officials will send a localized alert that will compel compatible phones to emit an alarm and display a bilingual text warning.
LISTEN: If you hear this tone on TV, radio or on your mobile phone, you should pay attention and take action right away
Situations that could prompt an alert include forest fires, terrorist threats or an Amber Alert for a missing child.
Canada’s broadcast regulator, the CRTC, has said that wireless carriers will conduct one test of the system during the week of May 6.
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