By Charles Lefebvre

Alert Ready test on Wednesday

May 7, 2019 | 5:04 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — If you receive a message and hear a different noise on your phone or tablet Wednesday afternoon, there is no need to be worried.

The Alert Ready Emergency System will be tested for the third time in a year across Canada on Wednesday. In Alberta, the test will take place at 1:55 p.m. Mountain time.

The alert test message will be heard on radio and television, and will also be delivered to compatible wireless devices.

Martin Belanger, director of alert systems with Pelmorex, the company that administers Alert Ready, says the tests are giving Canadians an idea of the preparation required for emergency services.

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“That’s why we test,” he said over the phone from Oakville, Ontario. “Part of it is to validate the end-to-end technical infrastructure of the system to make sure it works as intended in an emergency, but the other component is really to continue educating Canadians about the system. Just based on the feedback we have received, from all partners across Canada, it seems like there is a positive shift, where people do understand how it works, and what to do.”

Only compatible wireless devices will receive Alert Ready messages. Belanger says people need to be running updated software on their phones, and on a 4G LTE network in order to receive the messages, and need to check with their wireless providers to determine if their device is compatible.

Alert Ready is used to inform Canadians about emergency situations, such as natural disasters, wildfires and Amber Alerts.

While the test will be taking place across Canada, residents in two provinces will not be receiving the alert test. Quebec and Ontario have opted out of the tests, due to historic flooding in parts of the provinces.