Canada is testing its new emergency alert system on Monday, May 7 and all cell phones and tablets across the country will sound off.
Canada’s National Public Alert System, which is also called Alert Ready, provides emergency notifications on TV and the radio.
As of April 6, all wireless service providers are required to distribute emergency messages, meaning all alerts will now straight to cell phones as well. The system test happens May 7 at 1:55 p.m. The test will send a siren-like alarm to all smartphones, as well as a text message. It’s the same sound you hear on television and the radio during alerts.
Monday’s test will happen in Ontario and Quebec, and the rest of the country will be tested on May 9.
The emergency alert system will alert Canadians of natural disasters like tornadoes, earthquakes, and other weather emergencies. It will also be used for fires that threaten homes and businesses, terrorist attacks, biological hazards, amber alerts and more.
