siren-like emergency alert message will be sent by the Government next month to mobile phone users in the UK to test a new public warning system.
Phone users will not be able to use any other features on their devices unless they acknowledge the warning sent out on Sunday, April 23.
The system – modeled after similar schemes in the US, Canada, the The Netherlands And Japan – is intended for use in life-threatening situations, including floods and wildfires.
The St. George’s Day alerts appear on people’s phone home screens, accompanied by a loud alert sound and vibration.
The scheme will initially focus on the most severe weather-related events, with the ability to send an emergency message to 90% of mobile users in the affected area.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said: “We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alert system, to face a wide range of threats – from floods to wildfires.
“It will revolutionize our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger and help us keep people safe.
“As we’ve seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life.”
People those who don’t want to receive the alerts can opt out in their device settings, but officials hope the life-saving potential of the messages means users will leave them on.
The alerts come only from the government or emergency services, detail the affected area and provide instructions on how best to respond.
The Cabinet Office said the alerts are safe, free to receive and one-way, stressing that they do not reveal anyone’s location or collect any personal data.
Tests of the service have already taken place in East Suffolk and Reading.
The scheme could eventually be extended to cover terrorist incidents, but officials acknowledged that much more information would be needed about how the UK’s warning system works before that could happen in response to a fast-moving attack.
Mark Hardingham, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said: “Together with all fire and rescue services across the country, I look forward to having emergency alerts available to help us do our jobs and help communities in an emergency .
“We have seen this type of system in action elsewhere in the world and we look forward to having the facility here in the UK – working with fire services and partners we want this system to help us make you as safe as possible .” as you can when a crisis hits.
The Environment Agency’s Caroline Douglas, the executive director for flood and coastal erosion risk management, said: “Being able to communicate timely and accurate warnings during incidents is very important in helping people take action to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours.”