What are Emergency Alerts?

Emergency Alerts are a public information service that have been developed by the Government to alert citizens to emergencies, both nation-wide and in their local area, that represent a severe threat to life and/or property.
The technology used allows a message to be broadcasted to a defined area, meaning any device in, or entering that area immediately receives the message, detailing the emergency and actions people need to take to ensure their safety.
Their purpose is to help save lives in emergency situations by issuing a warning and clear instructions about how best to respond. While the alert service will initially be used as part of the Government coronavirus response capability, it could also serve a wider purpose and be used as an emergency response for other scenarios, such as severe flooding or terror attacks. Emergency Alerts is the Government’s way of warning people when lives are in danger.

What do the messages look like?

Emergency Alerts appear on your device’s home screen. You must acknowledge them before you can use your phone’s other features. They appear as a notification and will include telephone numbers or website links containing further information. A loud, siren-like sound and vibration will accompany the message to raise awareness of the hazard or threat.

What should I do when I receive an Emergency Alert?

Read the content carefully. An Emergency Alert is likely to include a link to gov.uk/alerts where further information is contained, and/or a helpline. Alerts are sent to warn you when lives are in danger, and potentially, in some cases, for test purposes. Take the appropriate action as directed and consider alerting others in the area who may not have received or seen the message.

Why are the Government not using SMS?

Emergency Alerts offer several advantages over SMS
Speed of delivery – After the alert is sent from the issuing authority, the public should receive the message in about 4 to 10 seconds. In comparison, the delivery of the GOV.UK coronavirus SMS messages sent in March 2020 took over 48 hours, as they needed to be batched to avoid congestion on the networks.