Residents of British Columbia will receive a test alert from the National Public Alerting System at 1:55 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
The alert will be sent to all compatible cellphones and will interrupt radio and television broadcasts.
The message that will appear on cellphones reads: “This is a TEST of the BC Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. Click for more info: [link]. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required.”
This exercise will help evaluate the system’s ability to deliver timely warnings and identify any necessary improvements, states the announcement from the province.
- To receive alerts, cellphones must be connected to an LTE network, powered on, and not set to "do not disturb" or airplane mode.
- The alerts will be broadcast automatically and at no cost to users.
- Following the test, British Columbians can participate in a brief online survey to help assess the effectiveness of the Alert Ready system. Survey link in English | Survey link in French
The BC Emergency Alert system, which launched on April 6, 2018, is tested twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Under a 2014 decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), all radio and television broadcasters in Canada are required to air public alerts.
By April 2018, wireless providers in Canada were mandated to support wireless public alerts.
The National Public Alerting System is a co-operative effort between federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as industry partners, ensuring a co-ordinated response to hazards and emergencies. The system allows officials to quickly warn the public of imminent dangers to life and safety, much like an early-warning siren that signals you to take shelter from a coming storm.
In 2022, BC expanded the types of emergencies covered by alerts to include flooding, wildfires and extreme heat. This year, BC also launched the Early Earthquake Warning system, which will issue alerts seconds before strong shaking begins, giving residents a brief but critical window of time to protect themselves.
Alerts are also issued by police for civil emergencies and Amber Alerts.
During the devastating 2023 and 2024 wildfire seasons, tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate on short notice. The BC Emergency Alert system is a crucial tool that provides life-saving information during such critical moments.
