Emergency alert system to launch on cellphones everywhere Friday

Starting Friday, getting information about emergencies will be as easy as checking your phone.

That's because an emergency alert system that automatically sends a message to every LTE-enabled cellphone within range of a cell tower will be activated Friday, said Tom Sampson, chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency in an interview on theCalgary Eyeopener Wednesday.

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"You get the message onyour cellphone advising you of the critical situation occurring in Albertaor Canada," Sampson said.

"It appears like a text message, but it's not actually a text message. There's no charges associated with it. You're not able to reply to it."

No opting out

The system is not optional, but Sampson saidit will also be used sparingly.

"It does come to everyone," he said. "But the flip side of that is, with that great responsibility to send out that message comes great accountability.

"You don't send it out just for anything."

According to Sampson, the province sent out a total of 16 emergency alerts last summer including nine for fire and five for environmental issueslike heavy winds.

The messages don't affect your ability to use your phone.

Sampson added precautions have been taken to insure no false emergency alerts are sent outlike the recent incident in Hawaii, where an emergency alertreportinga missile attack on the state was mistakenly sent out.

"The number of people who can put this alert out is very few," he said. "There's my staff, [and] some of my designates. It's Calgary Police Service, with respect to an Amber Alert, and it's EnvironmentCanada.

"Everyone of us has to practice once a month. You not only have to put your alert out, but you have to cancel it."

There's also a series of stopgapsso that the provincial operations sector can cancel amessage if need be.

Revising the emergency management act

The implementation of the emergency alert system is part of a broader makeover of Alberta's Emergency Management Act, which was announced Tuesday by provincial Municipal Affairs Minister ShayeAnderson.

The makeover is intended to clarify roles and improve efficiency during disasters,such as wildfires in Fort McMurrayandSlave Lake in 2011, WatertonPark in 2017, and the 2013 Calgary flood.

"We've had threeof Canada's top fourdisasters," Sampson said. "As such becausewe've got some of those skill sets, this is the logical next step. The coming of age for emergency management for us. We're not behind, we're actually surging forward."

Sampson will speak to the media Thursday delivering the message that he believes Alberta's emergency managementresponse plan is in solid condition.

"Alberta's been a leader and we really have to praise municipal affairs for this one.

"They've had a great system in place, and the new system will interface into it perfectly and get the message out."

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener and the Homestretch