Emergency Alert Test Notification Did Not Reach Everyone in BC

As a part of a Canada-wide emergency alert system, Emergency Management BC conducted a test of the alert system for its residents.

As we saw with the alert tests in Ontario and Quebec, the alerts did not reach everyone in British Columbia either. The alert system is supposed to warn the public of a large-scale emergency or disaster.

Emergency Management BC spokesperson Ian Lightbody said that they will work with Pelmorex, the company that operates the alert system, along with the wireless carriers to fix the issue. They have not released any details stating why the system did not work, however, they have promised to identify and provide solutions to the issues before the system launches in June.

Emergency Management BC claims that the point of the test was to find out if there were any glitches before launch, and clearly they found a few.

The alerts will supposedly bypass your phone’s silent mode to emit a high pitch sound warning you about the imminent emergency. You will then be able to see a description of the alert as a notification on your device. All Canadian radios and televisions will also receive these alerts.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CTRC) issued a mandate that required all wireless providers to implement the alert system on their respective networks.