Starting in April, the Canadian government will be moving ahead with a new system that will make sure that all important emergency bulletins will be broadcast right into the palm of your hand.
On April 6, emergency alerts, similar to the ones you may have heard on the radio or seen on television, will be automatically pushed right to your cell phone.
The bulletins will have all the relevant information you’ll need to know to keep yourself and your family safe from harm.
Emergency officials in Calgary say the system will help them reach a lot of people very quickly about an emergency.
“So imagine we’re in the midst of Stampede and we want to send a message out. This lets us communicate to the folks from London, the folks from Brazil and folks from Connecticut. So, it’s just a great system,” says Tom Sampson with the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.
He adds that the system will help reach people who aren’t even tuned in on the radio or on TV.
“One of the challenges with radio and television is sometimes people are on Netflix or surfing their accounts where they might not get the message we're trying to send, so this is a beautiful addition and it complements what's already in place in Alberta.”
There were just 16 alerts sent out in Alberta last year, including nine for fires, six for tornadoes and one for an Amber Alert.
Some people are concerned about the system sending out false reports, like the missile alert that put Hawaii on edge earlier this year, but officials say there are checks in place and users are thoroughly trained to avoid such issues.
(With files from Jordan Kanygin)
