Portable wireless devices in B.C. will be tested for the first time Wednesday for Canada’s new emergency alert system. Photo courtesy CBC.
Mobile devices in B.C. are scheduled to be sounding off Wednesday as testing continues for Canada’s new public emergency alert system, but some bugs need to be worked out first after some misfires Monday.
The Alert Ready system, designed to deliver potentially life-saving alerts to Canadians through wireless devices, TV and radio, failed its first mobile test in Quebec and had spotty success in Ontario.
Pelmorex Corporation operates the Alert Ready system and is investigating what caused the problems that Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called “serious glitches”.
A space in the coding prevented the alert from being sent out.
Goodale said glitches are exactly what tests are meant to find and expects the problems to be fixed.
Alert tests are planned in B.C. and the rest of the country Wednesday, except for Nunavut.
The test is scheduled for 1:55 p.m. Pacific Time.
Emergency Management B.C. said last month alerts will initially be issued for tsunami threats only, but the province is considering future expansion of the Alert Ready system to include other hazards and emergencies.
Wireless alerts will provide instructions for a safe response to an emergency.
To get the alerts, mobile phones must be connected to a cellular network, be alert-compatible and within the alert area.
With files from the Canadian Press.
Andy Neal
