If you’re out and about at 2pm on Monday, July 27, and you suddenly hear a blaring alarm everywhere, don’t worry. It’s just a test! The Australian government will be trying out AusAlert, a new national emergency warning system. On the day, all compatible devices around the country will receive a test alert, to make sure that the system works before a real emergency. The AusAlert system is expected to be in operation in October.
AusAlert emergency warning test
This new emergency warning system will use cell-broadcast technology to send out urgent messages to phones in a specific area. They will warn people of hazards and threats, such as bushfires, floods, terrorism and biohazard outbreaks.
AusAlert messages can be targeted to areas within 160 metres, such as a single building, allowing you to receive precise evacuation messages. These are not text messages (SMS), which means alerts can be sent when mobile networks are busy, and you won’t need a SIM card to receive an alert.
There will be two types of warning levels. The highest level is a critical alert, which will be intrusive, have a fixed volume and have a unique ring tone and vibration. It will also override settings such as ‘Do Not Disturb’, so you won’t miss it or opt out of it. The next warning level is the priority alert, which users can opt out of.
During the test, you should see a message appear on your home screen, and hear an alarm for 10 seconds.
Before the nationwide test in July, every state and territory will also have a local community test. For Victoria, there will be a test on June 18 in Geelong.
To read more about it, click here.