A test of Alert Ready, Canada’s National Public Alerting System, will take place on Wednesday, May 10th, across most provinces and territories.
Here in Ontario, there will be one test message that will play over radio, television and compatible wireless devices at 12:55 p.m.
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requires wireless service providers and broadcasters to send at least one test alert per year, either in May during Emergency Preparedness Week and/or in November. Participation in the testing of Alert Ready is at the sole discretion of each provincial and territorial emergency management organization (EMO).
The test message will simulate an emergency alert, beginning with the alert tone, known as the Canadian Alert Attention Signal. The message will indicate that it is a test and does not require action from the public.
Testing of the Alert Ready system provides the opportunity to:
- Increase public awareness about the system and spark emergency preparedness conversations, so that Canadians can be ready and prepared in the event of an actual emergency.
- Validate the effectiveness and reliability of the system to ensure it operates as intended from end to end.
- Provides an opportunity for Emergency Management officials to practice sending alerts to the public
Given the importance of warning Canadians of imminent threat to the safety of life and property, Canadians do not have the option to opt-out of this essential life-saving service. In 2022, the Alert Ready system delivered more than 820 public emergency alert messages to Canadians. A breakdown of alert types that were issued by province and territory can be found here.
