Another Emergency Cellphone Alert Test Hits May 8

Get ready for another emergency cellphone alert test, coming your way on Wednesday, May 8.

The National Public Alerting System is a joint effort among federal, provincial, and territorial governments designed to warn the public of imminent or potential dangers, such as floods, tornadoes, fires, and other disasters.

This system is also utilized for issuing Amber Alerts and urgent bulletins concerning child abductions where the child is believed to be in severe danger. Sometimes though, people are getting Amber Alerts when they are far away from affected areas.

Emergency alerts are issued by authorized emergency management organizations, including police departments, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and provincial and territorial authorities. These alerts, which are crucial for safety, are specifically targeted to affected areas. When issued, the alerts are broadcast via television and radio and are sent to mobile phones on an LTE and 5G.

You can find the local times of when this emergency test alert will hit your area, below:

• Alberta: 11:55 AM MDT
• British Columbia: 10:55 AM PDT
• Manitoba: 1:55 PM CDT
• New Brunswick: 2:55 PM ADT
• Newfoundland & Labrador: 3:25 PM NDT
• Northwest Territories: 9:55 AM MDT
• Nova Scotia: 1:55 PM ADT
• Nunavut: 1:55 PM EDT
• Prince Edward Island: 12:55 PM ADT
• Quebec: 1:55 PM EDT
• Saskatchewan: 11:55 AM CST
• Yukon: 10:55 AM YST

Ontario will hold its test on May 15 at 12:55pm local time.

Opting out of receiving these alerts is not possible due to their critical nature in ensuring public safety, says the CRTC. The CRTC says that service providers must deliver these alerts to all compatible mobile devices in the affected areas.

How to avoid the heart attack-inducing alert tone that’s out of your nightmares? Set your phone to silent or turn on do not disturb mode.