United Kingdom tests cell phone siren sound for emergency – 04/24/2023 – World

The UK carried out on Sunday (23) the first national test of its new emergency alert system that sends a siren sound to smartphones when there is a danger situation. So all Brits with 4G or 5G mobile phones or tablets should participate. Or almost everyone.

The announcement about the test, made at 15:00 (11:00 in Brasilia), was made weeks ago, which allowed those who did not want to have the cell phone emitting the loud sound for 10 seconds to seek alternatives: turn off the device or put it in plane, for example.

Many said the noise could be harmful to family members with disabilities, and others reported that it could disturb their pets. There were also cases where the system, structured to save lives, could put people in danger.

Pressured by NGOs that help women in situations of abuse, the British government itself recommended that people at risk of domestic violence turn off cell phones that they want to keep hidden from abusers in order to ask for help.

There was still a technological limitation in the test. Only those with devices running newer software, such as iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later and phones and tablets running Android 11 or later, were included. Older models were left out.

On social networks, some users shared their experiences. One person reported that he went to his place of work instead of staying at home because he didn’t want to scare his cat and fish. “I thought it would be a very loud sound, like an air raid siren, but it was actually fine.”

There were also people complaining that they didn’t receive the alert — or that they received it minutes earlier, or minutes later. On Twitter, a user questioned the government’s criteria, which said it would send the alert to everyone. “Another government failure perhaps? Or is it on purpose so that only a few people survive?” she questioned.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office, linked to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office, told Sky News that the government works with mobile network operators to review the results, but that, in any case, the proportion of users who did not receive the alert is small.

There was also a public administration galley. The message sent in Welsh to residents of Wales contained a spelling error. In the English passage where it reads “to keep you and others safe”, the Welsh version translated “safe” as “yn Vogel”, not “yn ddiogel” (the correct one).

“This has been in the spotlight for weeks and weeks and you guys [o governo] couldn’t find a single person to proofread the Welsh translation?” asked one person on Twitter.

The model implemented now in the UK already exists in countries like the US, Canada and Japan, with small details of difference. The mechanism is used to warn of emergencies such as gunfire, floods, forest fires and other extreme events.

In February, when a gunman killed three students and wounded five others at Michigan State University, students were alerted to the situation via text message, according to a report in The New York Times.

There are also some uncomfortable situations. On the 20th, residents of the US state of Florida were awakened at 4:45 am by a morning test of the alert system. Afterwards, the local emergency management team apologized.