At 1:55 P.M. today you will receive an alert on your phone, and if you're listening to the radio or watching television you'll hear a distinctly loud tone. Don't be panicked.

On May 4th, the national Alert Ready system that delivers, "potentially life-saving alerts to Canadians through television, radio and mobile phones," will be tested. Because the national system is partnered with provinces, Alberta is slated to participate alongside British Columbia, News Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia are not participating in the test.

The city of Airdrie is asking residents to, "Take a moment to reflect on how prepared you would have been if that alert were real. Tonight, go home and ask your household about where they were when the alert went off and how ready they would have been. Having a conversation about preparedness is one step to becoming more prepared."

In 2022, Alberta's Emergency Alert system was utilized four times, which included three AMBER alerts and one drinking water alert. Last year, there were 22 alerts.

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