Ontario Is Having An Emergency Alert Test Today & Here's When To Be Ready For It
It's part of a test happening across Canada.
An Emergency Alert test on a mobile device.
It's always good to know when it's coming. Ontario will be holding a test of its emergency alert system today, so be prepared for a warning to blast all of your devices, from your phone to your TV, computer, and radio.
This latest test is part of a nationwide check on the Alert Ready system in place across Canada to ensure the system’s readiness in case of an actual emergency.
On May 10, the alerts will blast at various times throughout the day, depending on where you are in Canada.
For those in Ontario, the emergency alert test is set to take place at 12:55 p.m., EDT.
So this is your warning — don't be freaked out by the noise or the intense vibrations coming from your phone right toward the end of your lunch break on Wednesday.
These routine tests of the Alert Ready system typically happen twice per year, with the last one taking place on November 16, 2022.
No matter when they happen, they almost always become a topic of conversation and instantly start trending online, having either caught some people by surprise or started a conversation among friends and colleagues to see who did, and maybe who didn't, receive the alert.
As part of every Alert Ready test, there is a survey that can be filled out to give feedback on how it went.
The emergency alert system is in place to warn Canadians of a long list of threatening events, from the recent familiarity of the COVID-19 pandemic to earthquakes, floods, forest fires, nuclear incidents, tornadoes, and potentially dangerous weather conditions.