A blaring siren will sound on every mobile phone within mobile range around the country, when a test alert is sent by the Commonwealth’s AusAlert emergency warning system on Monday, July 27 at 2pm AEST.
The federal government will test the new national warning system, which is designed to replace the current patchwork of state-based emergency alerts.
AusAlert can be triggered to all phones within a designated area, from nationwide to street by street, and will be used to warn of impending natural disasters like fires, floods and cyclones. It will also be used to warn the public in relevant areas of threats to public safety, for example shooting incidents, as well as biosecurity threats like a disease outbreak.
There are two levels of alert, with the “critical” level of emergency sounding regardless of the phone’s setting and appearing on the home screen. Phones can be set to opt out of the lower level “priority” alert.
AusAlert cost $132 million to develop and works on cell technology, which means it does not rely on telco providers networks and will function regardless of the volume of traffic on any network.
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said: “This is an important project that will help us and emergency services organisations warn people when they are in harm’s way, saving lives and protecting property during a disaster, delivering on a key finding from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.”
Before the national event, an alert will be sent to nine locations in June: Majura in the ACT, Launceston in Tasmania, Port Douglas in Queensland, Liverpool in NSW, Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, Geelong in Victoria, Goomalling in Western Australia, Port Lincoln in South Australia and Queanbeyan in NSW.
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