B.C. residents are being advised not to panic when they see or hear an emergency alert pop up on their phones on Wednesday.
The province is testing its emergency alert system at 1:55 p.m. PT. The system is also being tested in other Canadian provinces on Wednesday.
That test will include an alert tone and push notification being sent to most mobile phones in the province.
WATCH (Nov. 28, 2018): Alert Ready testing still hit and miss
The public will also hear and see a test alert on radio, television and compatible wireless devices.
Members of the public are being reminded not to call 911 for information about the alert.
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READ MORE: Ontario and Quebec opt out of alert system test, citing concerns for flood victims
The province says the test is necessary to determine the system’s readiness for a real emergency and to identify any bugs ahead of a formal rollout.
WATCH (May 9, 2018): Emergency alert texts tested in most of Canada
Upon initial deployment, the system will only be used in B.C. to warn of impending tsunamis and Amber Alerts.
However, it could be expanded in the future to include notifications for emergencies such as wildfires or floods.
You can find out more about the Alert Ready emergency alert system here.
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