If you hear your cell phone making a racket this afternoon, don't panic. It's not an emergency, or even an alarm you forgot about — it's a scheduled province-wide test.
On Wednesday, November 19, Quebec's Public Security Ministry is running its annual test of Québec En Alerte, the system that sends emergency notifications to phones, TVs and radios across the province.
The alert is meant to be loud and impossible to ignore, and the test helps authorities, broadcasters and telecom companies confirm everything is working properly in case of a real emergency.
Here's what you might want to know before your phone starts buzzing.
What is Québec En Alerte?
Québec En Alerte is the provincial branch of Canada's National Public Alerting System, which will be running tests across the country on Tuesday. It's the tool used to warn the public quickly when there's a serious or imminent threat to safety.
Alerts can be issued for a wide range of situations, including:
- Severe weather, such as tornado risks or major storms
- Natural disasters, including wildfires
- Amber Alerts for missing children
- Urgent incidents involving an armed or dangerous individual
Depending on the situation, an alert can apply to the entire province or just a specific region where people may be in danger.
What time will the alert go off?
The test is scheduled for 1:55 p.m. ET.
Every compatible device that's turned on and connected to an LTE or 5G network will receive the alert at the same time. The message will also air on television and radio stations across Quebec, in both French and English.
What will the message say?
Here's exactly what will appear on your screen (translated from French):
"TEST — This is a scheduled TEST of Québec En Alerte — No action is required. This is a test of Québec En Alerte. There is no danger to your health or safety. If this were an actual emergency, you would now receive instructions to protect yourself."
Can I turn the alert off?
No. The alerts can't be disabled, and the government doesn't allow carriers to offer an opt-out option.
If your phone is completely powered off when the test is sent, you won't receive it. However, if you turn it back on while the alert is still active and you're in the targeted area, the alarm will sound.
Even if your phone is set to silent, the alert may override your volume settings to make sure it's heard clearly.
This article was inspired by "Ton cellulaire va sonner intensément aujourd'hui au Québec : Voici pourquoi" which was originally published on Narcity Quebec
