Emergency Alerts enable urgent messages to be broadcast to a defined area when there is an imminent risk to life, such as wildfires or severe flooding. Emergency Alerts are messages sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones when there is a danger to your life, health or property in the area you're located. The service doesn't require your location or phone number, and only the government and the emergency services can send the alerts. If you don't have a mobile, you'll still be kept informed through other channels. If you get an Emergency Alert on your phone, you'll hear a loud, siren-like sound. A message on your screen will tell you about the emergency and how best to respond. 

Find more information about the alerts here: https://www.gov.uk/alerts

Supporting people in abusive relationships

On Sunday 23April there will be a national UK Emergency Alert test. This new Emergency Alert system is being rolled out by the government and will notify all phones with an alert sound - including when they are on silent. Victims and survivors who have a secret phone that they may hide from an abusive partner must be informed in order to take action to prevent the phone from activating, like switching it off or putting it on airplane mode.

‍Please share this message to help inform victims and survivors of the upcoming alert.

Refuge has created a video to inform victims and survivors how to ensure their secret phone does not play the notifying sound and become detected:

Supporting people with a learning disability and autism

The alert, including the sound, could cause anxiety for a number of vulnerable people including those with a learning disability or those with autism. Please could you help by sharing this message to people with learning disability or those with autism as well as their families and carers.