All phones, devices to receive AusAlert test on Monday

New national warning system AusAlert will roll out its national testing to all compatible mobile devices across Townsville next week ahead of its Australia-wide adoption in October.

AusAlert is a new national warning system that uses cell-broadcast technology to send emergency messages to compatible mobile devices.

As part of its national roll out, the Australian Government is testing AusAlert across all of Queensland at 2pm on Monday.The test will make a loud siren-like sound and vibration on phones, tablets and other compatible cellular devices for about 10 seconds.

Mayor and Townsville Local Disaster Management Group chairperson Nick Dametto said this was an important test to make sure the alert system worked effectively.

“Living in Northern Australia means we’re no strangers to natural disasters, so having a unified national warning system that works effectively across our region will be invaluable for our residents and visitors during extreme weather events,” Cr Dametto said.

“This AusAlert test is an important step in having this new capability rolled out across the country.

“At 2pm on Monday compatible devices will vibrate and play a warning sound, but you don’t need to do anything when you receive the alert.

“The test may appear on children’s phones, tablets and smartwatches as well, so if you have children or teenagers at home, make sure you let them know the message is only a test.

“If you receive the alert while you’re operating any kind of motor vehicle, stay calm and don’t touch your device. You can check the message when your vehicle is turned off.”

Cr Dametto said there were certain instances where individuals may not want to receive the AusAlert test.

“If you feel the test will disrupt you or cause you or a family member to feel unsafe, turn off your mobile device or switch it to aeroplane mode before 2pm on Monday and leave it off for at least one hour,” he said.

If you are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, you should know that AusAlert will vibrate your device and turn on your screen. The warning can be heard through hearing aids, and is being tested to see if it works with other assistive technologies like bed shakers.

If you are blind or have low vision, AusAlert messages can be read aloud if text-to-speech is turned on. The alert is being tested to see if it works with assistive technologies like refreshable braille displays and screen magnification tools.

AusAlert will be ready to use nationally in October this year. To learn more about AusAlert, visit the Australian Government’s website.