Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK smartphones on 23rd April

powerful_Rogue

MikeJXE said:

powerful_Rogue said:

MikeJXE said:

I can imagine the chaos this is going to cause 

Web sites crashing, phones ringing off the hook 

Getting knocked over in the panic 

Only by fools that don't read it correctly and see it's only a test.

Great idea in my opinion and there shouldn't be options on mobiles to disable it.

I agree with but there are lots of people on this island who will not know, no matter how many time it is broadcast or advertised in the paper

Or forgot or know but it still takes them by surprise 

The wording of the message will be very clear though.

This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.

In an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.

This is a test. You do not need to take any action.

No doubt all social medias will be filled with people moaning about it and sharing screenshots.

MikeJXE

powerful_Rogue said:

MikeJXE said:

powerful_Rogue said:

MikeJXE said:

I can imagine the chaos this is going to cause 

Web sites crashing, phones ringing off the hook 

Getting knocked over in the panic 

Only by fools that don't read it correctly and see it's only a test.

Great idea in my opinion and there shouldn't be options on mobiles to disable it.

I agree with but there are lots of people on this island who will not know, no matter how many time it is broadcast or advertised in the paper

Or forgot or know but it still takes them by surprise 

The wording of the message will be very clear though.

I'm sure it will just as 

You must stay at home was 

unforeseen

chrisw said:

facade said:

forgotmyname said:

facade said:

Can't be that important then.

Still, I suppose "Nuclear strike imminent, get the door off its hinges and hide under it!" isn't much good if you are driving a car....

You don't hide under the door with a Nuclear attack, you remove the door to stand SAFELY in the opening it leaves behind. 

Perfectly safe if you do that, I remember reading the leaflets and watching the TV in the late 70's. Maybe houses were
stronger back then?  Although if you were within the detonation zone it maybe safer to hide under the stairs.

They spent millions on those leaflets, and we can't even remember the sound advice that would have saved us

Here it is, I was right, you built a bomb shelter by taking the doors off their hinges, well you had to really, as only Our Masters could fit in the radiation hardened underground shelters built to keep Government (of what exactly, following Armageddon?) safe and functioning.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500124311

Latest advice is, after the flash, get in the corner of the room alongside the window and wait for the following blast wave to blow the window glass inwards past you rather than get shredded by it.

I like The Plan where I sit in a proper bunker for 6 months and then emerge to rule over the survivors.....

For anyone who remembers the 80s, a visit to the Hack Green secret nuclear bunker near Nantwich in Cheshire is a great day out. This stuff really was taken seriously.

https://www.hackgreen.co.uk/

None of the R series bunkers built for the Rotors radar system were designed as nuclear bunkers. 
The fully underground ones were designed to survive a direct hit by a 1000lb conventional bomb. The semi underground ones such as Hack Green should survive a near miss.
Although built as part of the Rotors system, Hack Green was never used for that purpose as the advance in radar design made it superfluous. 

jackieblack

Grey_Critic said:

It would seem this is a system test - there are ways you can disable the function but personally I would just let it go - jit is a one off - Better to know that it works than moan when it does not.

Easy to say if you’re not in a situation where you’ve just, FINALLY, managed to get a baby off to sleep… 🤦🏻‍♀️ - I think I’ll opt for turn phone off until it’s all done 

ETA - in the event of an actual, real emergency obviously that’s different but for a ‘test’? I’ll opt out, thanks 

Le_Kirk

MikeJXE said:

Getting knocked over in the panic 

....... to get to the supermarket to panic buy toilet rolls 

Grey_Critic

There is a chemical plant - Zeneca - a couple of miles away from me. Couple of times a year they test the siren - still waiting for someone to kick up a fuss about it.

Reading some of the comments on here all I can say is *God Help Us* if there ever is an emergency. Wake up the baby - Yeahb am sure that is a nuisance but in the case of a real emergency I hope your gripe does not result in harm to the baby.

Newcad

Switching to a mobile alert system will allow them to discontinue the TV early warning broadcast system. (Yes that is still operated and maintained by the BBC).

I already get text message alerts for severe weather warnings and flood warnings.
Round here we also get siren/alarm tests for Sellafield nuclear site.

I don't see this new system being used much at all, apart from maybe an occasional (yearly?) test.

If they do start using it for minor issues then everyone will simply switch it off, thus making it useless anyway.

jackieblack

Grey_Critic said:

Reading some of the comments on here all I can say is *God Help Us* if there ever is an emergency. Wake up the baby - Yeahb am sure that is a nuisance but in the case of a real emergency I hope your gripe does not result in harm to the baby.

As I already said, if it was a real emergency then that’s different, for a known planned test it’s just not worth the struggle - you’ve clearly never been exhausted and on your last nerve with a baby who fights going to sleep no matter how tired they are and who, if woken, will battle it again for several more hours before succumbing again to sleep 

In a previous job I (briefly) had a boss who always ran fire drills on the coldest, wettest, windiest days because he thought it was funny - once everyone started ignoring the bell (having been tipped off there was going to be a drill), and ignoring most of his ridiculous demands generally, he soon moved on 🙄 - of course, if it had been a real evacuation we’d have sucked it up and stood out in the terrible weather for however long was necessary 

facade

outtatune said:

<snip>

But in the UK these things just don't happen, and you know if they did then it would happen when Tracey, the only person in the office who knows the activiation code, is on annual leave, or they'd need a complex chain of approval that couldn't be completed because the minister responsible was in a 'private meeting' with their personal assistant, so by the time the alert is actually sent, the sad beeps wouldn't be able to wake you as your cold lifeless body floated down what was once the high street.

<snip>

Looks like you are right

"You are not going to be spammed by the government with constant incoming messages. The bar for this is exceptionally high," Mr Dowden told BBC News.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65178240

They have set it for 3pm now to avoid disrupting The Football Match and The Marathon.

RumRat

Time has finally been announced....
A siren will go off on nearly every smartphone in the UK at 3pm on Sunday 23 April, the government has announced.
Time set for national mobile phone emergency alert test - BBC News