If you have a cellphone and are a resident of the Bulkley Valley, expect your phone to light up around 1:55 this afternoon.
Why may you ask? Well, its emergency preparedness week and this is all a part of a new national alerting system.
Users with compatible devices connected to an LTE network will hear a tone similar to an ambulance alarm or feel a vibration for eight seconds.
No, you will not receive a text message. The notification will come in some sort of alert tone, banner, or vibration to alert you the test is taking place.
“Given the number of British Columbians who use cell phones,” says BC Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness Jennifer Rice “this is the evolution is the next logical step in emergency management to save lives and promote resilience in the face of danger.”
The tests are being conducted after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)Â ordered wireless providers to implement the system to distribute warnings of imminent safety threats such as tornadoes, floods, Amber Alerts, or terrorist threats.