The Generalitat de Catalunya will once again carry out a simulation of cell phone alerts during the months of September and October to evaluate the ES-ALERT system and disseminate its use among the population.
It is not the first to be done, and in recent months, especially during summer storms, the system has been tested. Now, it will be sounded again.
When will the alarms sound in Barcelona?
In Barcelona and its metropolitan area , the test will take place on October 8 at 10:00 am, at which time all phones in the city or its surroundings will receive a message with a shrill tone, different from the usual calls or SMS.
The text of the message will be clear: “PROVA D’ALERTA DE PROTECCIÓ CIVIL DE LA GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA. In a real emergency you will receive instructions to protect yourself. IT’S A PROVA”.
In addition, it will include a link to a short survey for users to rate the operation of the system. The test does not require any further action: no need to call 112 or do anything else, just read the message and press the key that appears to mute the sound.
Barcelona will not be the only area affected. The tests began on September 10 in Lleida, Alt Pirineu and l’Aran, continued on September 16 in Girona and Central Catalonia, and will be carried out on September 30 in Tarragona, Terres de l’Ebre and Penedès. The messages will be sent in Catalan, Spanish and English, and in Aran also in Aranese.
Why the test is being carried out
The simulation comes after the errors detected in July, during the passage of the DANA, when some companies did not send alerts correctly. The ES-ALERT system allows sending mass messages to the entire population of an area in a short time in case of serious emergencies: floods, chemical accidents or other situations that require immediate instructions from civil protection.
With this test, the Generalitat wants to verify the technical operation, continue to disseminate the tool among the citizens and collect anonymous information on reception, language and telephone company through the enabled survey.
