Millions of Ontarians will get an emergency alert on their devices Wednesday as part of test of the country’s Alert Ready system.
Alert Ready delivers critical and potentially life-saving alerts to Canadians through television, radio and LTE-connected and compatible wireless devices, according to its website.
“The Alert Ready system was developed with many partners, including federal, provincial and territorial emergency management officials, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pelmorex, the broadcasting industry and wireless service providers,” it said.
“Together, these partners work to ensure Canadians receive alerts immediately and know when to take action to stay safe.”
“Using 911 for non-emergency calls could delay help for people experiencing real emergencies,” it said.
The test in Ontario Wednesday comes after Canadians in most provinces and territories received the alert last week.
Provincial and territorial emergency management organizations already conduct regular tests of the system; last week was the first time the federal government tested its capacity to issue alerts.
Ottawa recently signed an agreement to issue alerts on information of national interest that falls within federal jurisdiction.
Wednesday’s test is scheduled to happen at 12:55 p.m. Eastern; the next test in Ontario is scheduled for Nov. 20 at the same time.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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