Alberta Emergency Test Alerts Sent Up to 9 Times, Blamed on ‘Glitch’

Yesterday, Alberta tested emergency wireless alerts and they went off far more than people had anticipated, showing up to nine shocking alerts.

From 1:55pm to 2:01pm, the wireless alert test archive shows up to nine alerts sent in Alberta. Of course, many people were not too pleased.

Alberta testing the Emergency Alert System today pic.twitter.com/OPDgKLKLKO

— CodenameJulie 🇨🇦🇭🇺 (@codename_julie) March 1, 2023

The sixth Alberta emergency test alert was my favourite.

— Timm Bruch (@TimmCTV) March 1, 2023

Okay I have got this alert 7x times now, Alberta. pic.twitter.com/EZOs1P8BoE

— Lauren Boothby (@laurby) March 1, 2023

As for why the test alerts were sent out so many times? The UCP said it was a glitch.

“Incidents like the one that occurred are exactly why we conduct testing on the Alert System. We need to ensure that the system is working as intended during an actual emergency to protect Albertans,” said Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis, reports the Western Standard.

“We recognize the disruption these multiple alerts caused Albertans and are addressing this issue as quickly as possible to ensure the system works as intended so we can keep Albertans safe during an emergency,” added Ellis.

The emergency test alerts were sent out over TV, radio and wireless devices on LTE 4G networks. It’s handled by Alert Ready, a system managed by Pelmorex, the parent company of The Weather Network.

Normally, test alerts in Alberta take place in May and November, but the early March start is to coincide with the official start of the wildfire season, said the minister.

How many test alerts did you receive yesterday on your cellphone?