An emergency test alert will sound off devices in Ontario today

Ontarians can expect an emergency alert to blare from their phones today.

On Nov. 20, at 12:55 p.m., test alerts will sound off on radio, television and compatible wireless devices. All across the country, with the exception of Quebec, will be running through these alarms to ensure they work for when an emergency occurs.

Kurt Eby, director of regulatory affairs at Alert Ready, told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday that there are three reasons why they conduct these tests, with the first to ensure the technology is indeed working across all platforms.

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"We run the component that the alert issuers of the government agencies, of the police, or whoever, log-in and write … the alert and pick where it's going to go, and hit send, and then our system processes them," Eby said.

These semi-annual tests also ensures that TV and radio stations, as well as wireless providers, have their emergency alert systems working. In May's test, some Ontarians reportedly did not receive an alert on their wireless devices, for example.

"Even though there's a lot of alerts every year, and more and more every year, those alerts don't go everywhere," Eby said. "There are areas of the country that may not have had an alert for a while … so this allows the broadcasters and the wireless providers in those areas to test as well."

Then the primary reason for these tests, Eby says, is public awareness.

"It is just a reminder that the public alerting system works," Eby said. "We all know it's a pretty jarring sound, and that there's a reason for that, and this is what it looks and sounds like."

Emergency alerts can be issued for a variety of situations, including amber alerts, natural disasters and terrorist threats, to name a few.

The emergency alert system is tested twice a year, in May and November. In 2024, a total of 233 emergency alerts have been issued through Alert Ready in Ontario.