If you live in Greater Sudbury and get an emergency alert Wednesday morning, chances are, it's only a test.
To kick off Emergency Preparedness Week May 5-11, the city is testing its Sudbury Alerts emergency notification system at 10 a.m. on May 1.
“The city has (more than) 69,000 public home and business phone numbers,” said a news release on the event. “If your home or business is one of them, you will receive a test notification on your home or business phone. If you have signed up to receive emergency notifications via text, email, TTY or mobile number via the city’s website, you will also receive a test notification.”
The Sudbury Alerts call will appear on your phone as 705-805-9360. Residents are encouraged to include the number in their phone’s contacts list and name it 'Sudbury Alerts,' so they always know when an emergency alert call is coming in.
When you receive the test notification Wednesday, residents are being asked to carefully follow the instructions so Greater Sudbury can ensure the system is working properly.
“Please do not call 311 or 911 when you receive your test notification.”
To sign up for Sudbury Alerts, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/sudburyalerts. If you have already signed up, you can log back in to ensure your information is up to date, or change your language preference.
If an actual emergency somehow takes place on Wednesday, the word 'TEST' will not be part of the message, the release said.
“Instead, the message will give specific details of an emergency and how you should proceed. The test message will be clearly marked with the word 'TEST' in written form and emphasized in voice recordings.”
Sudbury Alerts provides emergency information specific to Greater Sudbury. It's separate from Alert Ready, the national system, which allows government officials at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to issue public safety messages via channels such as television, radio and wireless devices based on one’s geographic location.
There is no sign-up or opt-in required for the national Alert Ready system.
“Sudbury Alerts, however, focuses on local emergencies, including train derailments, dangerous weather, potential air quality issues and other,” the release said. “It can also deliver important messages about when to shelter in place and where to go for detailed information during a local emergency.”
Sudbury Alerts messages are available in English or French and you can choose your language when you sign up. If you don't, the notifications will default to English. If you’d like to change your default settings, sign it at www.greatersudbury.ca/sudburyalerts.
Sudbury Alerts is a partnership dating back to 2017 between Greater Sudbury, Glencore, Greater Sudbury Police Services, Greater Sudbury Utilities, Public Health Sudbury and Districts, and Vale. It's aimed at alerting local residents of a potential hazards or concerns considered an imminent threat to public safety.
“The system allows residents to receive emergency alerts on their home phone, cellphone, TTY service, fax number or email address,” the release said.
