Londoners need not panic if they get an emergency notification to their phone on Tuesday.
The City of London will be testing its alert London emergency notification system at 10:55 a.m. as part of Emergency Preparedness Week. The national awareness initiative has taken place annually the first full week of May since 1996. Its aim is to encourage people to make preparations to protect themselves and their families in the event of any type of emergency, such as natural disasters, cyber attacks, and pandemics.
The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Emergency Preparedness: Be Ready for Anything’.
“Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility,” Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan said in a statement. “Each of us has a role to play to reduce the risks we face during an emergency by learning what these risks are; understanding how to prepare for them; and making plans to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe, based on advice from the experts.”
One way the city helps Londoners stay informed during emergency situations is through its alert London emergency notification system. During a major crisis, warnings and instructions are sent by phone, text message, or email directly through the notification system to registered users and any phone numbers listed in the White and Yellow Pages. The system uses geo-mapping technology to pinpoint the location of a potentially life-threatening incident when it’s in progress and then sends notifications to residents and businesses in close proximity.
Londoners can sign up to receive messages from the alert London emergency notification system by clicking here.
The city will cap off emergency preparedness week with an open house at its emergency operations centre at 275 Boler Road from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. In addition to seeing the facility, residents will be able to speak with first responders and see how various pieces of safety equipment works.
“This is an opportunity for residents and their families to meet some of the individuals and teams who keep our city safe during an emergency, learn more about what it means to be a first responder and take part in some fun activities,” said Henry Klausnitzer, emergency operations centre manager. “This is a great event for the whole family.”
