Photo: Glacier Media The provincial government is giving British Columbians plenty of warning ahead of the next Alert Ready system test. Smartphones, radios and televisions will broadcast a signal on November 16 at 1:55 p.m. as part of the six-monthly systems audit. The last one was held on May 5 at 1:55 p.m An Alert Ready representative reached out to Castanet to make sure we gave our audience plenty of warning before testing. “We’re just letting all the major media outlets know, we’re getting a little early so when it happens, so it doesn’t surprise anyone.” The spokesman says the test is done in case of floods and other disasters such as fires. “I hate to use the term atmospheric river, but you know, if someone had an impending flood, then they would get that notification on their phone. Every time we test it, we get ideas to make it more and more accurate.” said the government spokesman. The badge is a test to evaluate Alert Ready’s overall emergency management, and they take notes to find where improvements are needed in terms of public safety. The test message will be as follows: “This is a TEST of the British Columbia Emergency Notification System issued by British Columbia Emergency Management. This is TEST ONLY. If this was a true emergency or threat, you would now be hearing instructions to help protect you and your family. For more information, go to www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca. This is ONLY a TEST, no action is required.” For more information or to see if your smartphone is compatible with the program, you can visit the Alert Ready website.
