The government have introduced a new “Armageddon alert” system which will hit people’s phones across the UK which is designed to warn Brits of impending disasters which pose a “danger to life.”
People who have a mobile phone in the UK will receive a siren emergency warning and until the user acknowledges they have seen the emergency alert they will not be able to use their device.
There will be flashing lights and a sound alert on your mobile phone and the public will then be issued details of what the emergency is, along with advice as to where to get help and what to do.
Conservative Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse said the scheme will help to “warn people much more comprehensively” over any imminent threats.
Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General Fleur Anderson said, “While Britain faces increasing global threats, not least from Putin’s Russia, this saga has dragged on far too long and left our country lagging far behind on keeping the public safe.”
Anderson added, “While the Tories have been caught asleep at the wheel, Labour has a plan for a more resilient Britain to ensure government is alert to the threats our country faces.”
The emergency alert system will be used to warn people of weather related disasters within their area and according to the government more than 90% of mobile phones will receive the warning in the affected area.
Oliver Dowden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, praised the new alert scheme saying this is something that could potentially save people’s lives.
Dowden said, “We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alerts system, to deal with a wide range of threats – from flooding to wildfires.
“It will revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger, and help us keep people safe. As we’ve seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life.”
An official foreword on the report from Dowden reads, “These are unsettled and troubling times.”
Adding, “We live in an increasingly volatile world, defined by geopolitical and geo-economic shifts, rapid technological change and a changing climate.
“We need to strengthen the underpinning systems that provide our resilience to all risks.
“This UK Government Resilience Framework is our plan to achieve this.”
The emergency alarms will take place on 23 April which is St George’s Day and it is expected that in the early evening on that Sunday.
Caroline Douglas of the Environment Agency said that getting the warnings out to the public in a “timely and accurate manner” is “really important to help people take action.”
The Cabinet Office said that the alert warnings are secure one-way communications which will be free to receive and no one’s personal data is at risk.
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