New Government Emergency Alerts – Not Lifesaving for Everyone!

Photo by Nimrod Persson on Unsplash

On April 23^rd 2023, a new emergency alert system will be implemented to help keep the public safe and informed during times of crisis.  The system is designed to quickly and efficiently deliver important information to individuals in affected areas, helping them to take necessary precautions and stay safe.

The emergency alert system utilizes a range of technologies, including text messaging, social media and broadcast alerts.  When a crisis occurs, such as a natural disaster or a security threat, authorized personnel can quickly send out alerts to individuals within the affected area.  These alerts may include information on the nature of the threat, instructions on how to stay safe, and any other pertinent details. 

On Sunday the 23^rd April, at some point in the evening, everyone’s mobile phone/device will sound a loud siren for 10 seconds EVEN if it is on silent.  The notification will say:

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.

You will need to acknowledge that you have seen this alert before you can use your phone in the normal way. 

Emergency alerts will not be sent to phones that only use 3G or 2G.  This means anyone with an older phone or perhaps not a smart phone, will not receive the alert but the government estimates that 90% of the population will receive the alert.

You can opt out of receiving the emergency alerts but the government strongly urges you not to because they state these alerts are potentially lifesaving.

Lifesaving to whom?  Clearly not the hundreds of thousands of victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence, still living with their abuser and who may quite likely have a second ‘secret’ phone or tablet, also in case of emergencies!!

Picture the scene if you will.  Sunday the 23^rd April 2023.  A family day.  A couple sitting with their children, perhaps enjoying a roast dinner.  Suddenly there are deafening loud sirens going off and both parents switch the alerts on their phones off.  They had not read or seen on the news about these alerts.  Wow, that was a shock and a surprise, wasn’t it?  But there is still one siren going!?  Where from?  The victim/survivor knows exactly where from and sits, waiting, terrified, for what they know will happen next now that their ‘secret’ phone has been discovered!

So clearly, this new system is not safe for everyone and the many hundreds of thousands of victims and survivors in the UK have yet again, not been considered!

How to turn off Emergency Alerts on Apple devices:

·       Go to the settings app of the Apple device

·       Scroll down to find and click or tap on the ‘Notifications’ tab

·       Scroll all the way down to the bottom to find the dedicated section for emergency alerts

·       You will be able to see ‘Extreme Alerts’ and ‘Severe Alerts’.  This may vary depending on what Apple device or iphone you are using but these tabs will normally always be set by default to ON

·       To turn them off, press all the toggle buttons (blue or green means on, grey is off)

How to turn off Emergency Alerts on Android devices:

·       Go to the settings app of the android device

·       Search for ‘Emergency Alerts’ using the search bar or magnifying glass search option at the top of the screen

·       Click or tap on either Emergency Alerts or Wireless Emergency Alerts

·       When you are in the device’s Emergency Alerts setting page, turn off the Emergency Alerts by pressing all the toggle buttons (Blue means on, grey means off)

If you are reading this and you are a victim or survivors of domestic abuse and/or violence and you have a second ‘secret’ phone of device for your safety, please follow the above instructions before Sunday the 23^rd April.  If your device is old and you are not sure if the alert will sound on it, switch it off anyway before this date and until the following day if you feel safe to do so. 

Please share this article far and wide to make sure as many people as possible know about this. Spread the word verbally, whenever and wherever you can. Not everyone watches the news or reads the papers or goes online.  Many victim/survivors of domestic abuse will be isolated and not be aware that this is going to happen.  By raising awareness you may just be making sure someone at risk is safe, by doing so.