These alarms save lives: Guardian readers on UK public warning test | UK News

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Guardian readers share their views and concerns about the planned first nationwide test of the government’s public alerting system which will send alerts to UK mobile phones in the event of a disaster. The test will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m.

In Japan, these alarms save livesMaria, who received alerts when she lived in Japan, found them “fantastic”. Photo: Maria/Guardian Community

I think it was about time we had one. When I was living in Japan, I experienced the Japanese satellite warning system called J-Alert, which sends out alerts about severe weather, earthquakes, incoming missiles, etc. Not only do you receive an alarm notification on your phone, but it is also broadcast to outdoor speakers, email, radio and TV. They are broadcast in multiple languages ​​and missile alerts also occur via air raid sirens.

These alarms warned you of earthquakes, so you had a chance to hide under a table, and that was fantastic. These alarms really do save lives! The only concern would be for people hiding a phone to survive domestic violence, but as long as you can turn it off or put it on vibration, you’re fine. Maria, 39, carer, from Colne, Lancashire

Alerts could cause disruption and distress

I am concerned that the government alert system tested on Sunday April 23 did not take into consideration the range of non-consumer connected IoT devices on the market, from smart vending machines to electric vehicle charging systems. (EV) to medical equipment that can work. on Android today. Many devices may not be equipped to recognize and dismiss this notification, which could lead to real problems.

For example, my company simulated the alert on customer devices and found that a medical device triggered the alert and entered an alarm state that could not be canceled, potentially creating a risk and causing distress to patients. Overall, the health and safety of the elderly and vulnerable who depend on these connected home and healthcare systems are at risk from the impact of these alerts. Since every IoT device is unique, with different hardware and firmware, it’s impossible to predict the extent of the disruption or implement a catch-all fix.

Another example is electric vehicle charging systems, where there could be disruption to travel infrastructure and drivers could be stranded if the charger cannot process payments and distribute electricity. Given the lack of government guidance in this area, my advice to any companies using connected Android devices in particular is to ideally simulate and test this alert before Sunday, and update firmware if needed immediately. Paul Marshall, founder of IoT company Eseye, from Guildford

Indispensable for flood alerts

Absolutely essential for flood warnings as they will give people time to get to safety and protect their property. Having been overwhelmed myself, I know how vital this kind of information is. Mary Long-Dhonau, lawyer and campaigner for flood prevention and property flood resilience, from Ledbury

It’s been long overdue

I see nothing wrong with this system. It’s a way overdue government warning system that could save lives, which would have been helpful during the Covid pandemic. I don’t see this as intrusive, but rather an attempt to provide essential information to people in a quick and concise manner. I have no worries, the government already has access to our phones and mobile devices, at least the invasion of privacy will be for something useful for once. Cameron, a student from Wiltshire

As an epileptic, I worry about the effects on my health

I criticize the missing information. Will there be mermaids? How long will the test last? Having frontal lobe epilepsy, the whole palaver scares me, my concern is that the alarm may trigger an epileptic seizure, as a sudden unexpected noise may act as a trigger.

Of course, this is not comparable to something that could set off alarm bells for the entire population due to a real emergency. But since the weather report is usually unreliable, the flood warning and so on will probably come after the floods. The alarm system will sound after a bomb is dropped. We are not in a war situation that would deserve this alert system. Anonymous, from East Sussex

What happens if an abuse victim’s hidden phone goes off?

It’s a surprise that our government is suddenly concerned about our security. I’m sure the regular radio and television broadcast services would tell us if there was an imminent threat to us. I think that’s blatant electioneering in the sense of watching us take care of you. I believe this is part of Project Fear. Moreover, it is a violation of our privacy because every mobile device will respond to it. So every mobile device can be tracked at that exact moment. And what if a cell phone is a lifeline for someone being abused? The mobile will no longer be hidden. Gary Hambly, pensioner, of Llandrindod Wells

I have doubts about the sophistication of alerts

If it’s anything like the Met Office system for severe weather warnings, we can probably expect our phones to wail whenever there’s a chance of something overtaking a strong breeze, a heavy storm of rain or a day of temperatures above 25C. Alf Alderson, freelance journalist, from Pembrokeshire

Not everyone has a cell phone

I’m in two minds about this. I see this could be very useful in a situation of immediate danger. Having such a system will alert anyone with a cell phone, but not everyone does. An air raid alarm at certain intervals so no one can miss an alert would be more helpful as it will reach everyone. Regular silent tests can be done (the Netherlands do) and a full (bi-)monthly test at a set time so everyone knows the sound of the alarm.

I’m concerned that setting off an alarm on all phones, whether for testing or in a dangerous situation, could put more lives at risk than the actual emergency. How often will these tests be performed? The more frequent they are, the more undesirable the fatal risks. Some examples where alarms like this could endanger people’s lives: people in an abusive relationship who have a secret phone, people having an affair who have a secret phone, undercover police officers who need a secret phone. So overall having alarms like these is in my opinion counterproductive. National emergencies are very rare occasions. Making sure the system works requires regular testing, not just on rare occasions. So let’s do the air raids instead. Maria, 65, Hampshire Senior Operations Manager

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