Smart phones will now receive emergency alerts as part of a national expansion to Alert Ready.
Starting today, Manitobans will receive alerts over their cell phones when it impacts their area or an area they may be in at the time.
Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure, Ron Schuler, tells 730 CKDM what kind of alerts would be issued.
“If it’s a weather event, it would probably be done through the federal government, through Environment Canada; so if there is a catastrophic weather event predicted or there’ve been funnel clouds spotted, then it would go through Environment Canada. Basically if it’s something like a train derailment or a serious event like that, then it would go the Manitoba Emergency Measures and we have the save ability as Environment Canada to put a message on people’s phones. Again it’s not just on cell phones that you would see this, it would also be on your t.v. and radio.”
Those areas that don’t have cell phone coverage, would still receive alerts via radio and television.
This system works independently from some of the ones that some municipalities have purchased, like Code Red, for their own emergencies, but they may have capabilities to be linked like All-Net’s Connect.
On May 9, at 1:55 in the afternoon, an emergency test will be done on the alert system, so Manitoba smart phone users can see how it will work.
