New Zealand Emergency Mobile Alert System - What is it and how does it work?

 

What is the New Zealand Emergency Mobile Alert System?

 

The New Zealand Emergency Mobile Alert System is an Mobile Phone based Emergency Warning system. It is designed to broadcast to all capable phones within a specific targeted area, and provide people with real time up-to-date, information relating to any current or potential disasters or emergencies that are happening in their area, or pose a threat to their area. They are designed to keep people safe and have been used during a number of events in recent history.

If for any reason your life, health or property is in danger from such an event then alerts can be sent to your phone. These are sent out to mobile phones from targeted cell towers, meaning the alerts will be sent to those areas where the risk is present. There is no need to sign into to any special systems or download an app, and this service does not cost you anything.

Assuming that your phone is capable of receiving these alerts, your operating system and software is up to date, and you are within the geolocation targeted area, then your phone should receive the emergency messages.

Once a year the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Civil Defence New Zealand (CDEM) run a nationwide test of this service. The yearly test is well advertised in advance using all the major media formats such as Radio, Television, Social Media and the internet.  After the test, Civil Defence seeks feedback from people to determine  who got the alert and who did not, and how they can improve on the service going forward. 

 

Which mobile phones are capable of receiving these Alerts?

To get Emergency Mobile Alerts you need a phone capable of receiving them. Your phone also needs to have cell reception and up-to-date software. You don’t have to download an app or subscribe to a service. It is expected that most phones purchased after 2017 to receive Emergency Mobile Alerts.

 

What do I do if I receive an  Alert?

If you do happen to receive an emergency mobile alert, and you haven't heard or seen one before, then it can be quite intimidating, but do not panic. When you receive an alert, read the message and take it seriously. The Emergency Mobile Alert message will always advise you of which authorised emergency agency has sent the alert, what the emergency is, what you should do and, if needed, it will direct you where to go to find out more information.

It is a very good idea to ensure you have a Survival Kit, or Grab Bag ready to go for each member of your family, and know where to find it in the event of an emergency. Also don't forget that a good AM/FM Emergency Radio is also essential for receiving emergency broadcasts in case the mobile phone system goes down during a disaster event.

 

Who sends these Emergency Mobile Alerts?

The Emergency Mobile Alerts are only sent out by a specific group of authorised emergency agencies. Once a year there is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert Systems, this will be well advertised. As it stands the only agencies that are currently set up to send out these alerts are;

 

• The New Zealand Police
• Fire and Emergency New Zealand
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry for Primary Industries
• The National Emergency Management Agency
• Local Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups

 

What will the Emergency Mobile Alert Systems be used for?

These alerts will only be used when there is a serious risk posed to life, health or property. That being said there is a need to use the system for test purposes, to ensure that the system works well and will be fit for purpose if and when the time comes that it is needed.

The system will never be used to gather information about members of the public, it uses a geofence type setup and targets all capable mobile phones in the area that are able to receive the alert. They may however seek optional feedback post testing, to determine who received the alerts and who did not. This allows Civil Defence and other agencies to better understand any potential failures in the system that can be fixed before it is needed for real. 

While not an exhaustive list, the Mobile Emergency Alert system may be used to send emergency mobile alert messages in the the following situations;

 

• A Tsunami that poses a threat to New Zealand coastlines
• A forest or wildfire that poses a risk to people or homes
• An Emergency Police event, such as an active armed offender
• Environmental emergencies, such as chemical spills or water contamination

 

What does the Emergency Mobile Alert look and sound like?

We have included this screen shot from a 2017 test carried out by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. As noted it lets the person who received an alert know who it came came from and what the emergency situation type is.

 

If you want to see and hear what an actual alert sounds like, then check out this video below that was taken on one of our phones during the yearly test in 2017. If you were not expecting this alert then the sound would be quite a shock to the system. Skip to about 1:58 in the video to hear and see the alert come through. 

 

 

 

Are there any weaknesses to this system?

 

Like any system, the Emergency Mobile Alerting Service here in New Zealand is reliant on a number of key factors to make it work. It should be seen as an extra tool in your Disaster and Emergency Preparedness tool kit to help keep you safe.

Apart from ensuring you have a phone that is capable of receiving these types of alerts, the phone still has to be within the mobile coverage area to get them. If you are not in a coverage area when an alert is sent out then you likely will not get it. 

Also as this service is reliant on cell towers to work also, in the event of a major disaster like an AF8 Alpine Faultline Earthquake or a Major flooding event that takes out power to the area or causes damage to the cell phone towers, you may not receive these alerts also. 

A 2022 emergency preparedness survey showed that over 88% of people in New Zealand received the test on their phones or were with someone else at the time. While the service is constantly being improved on, it shows that even withing the same area there are various factors that might impact the alerts being received. If you get the alert then make sure you let the people around you know as well to ensure as many people as possible can be prepared. 

Given the above limitations on this system, it should be noted that while the alerts are a great tool, they do not replace other systems that are in place to provide alerts to the public, such as Radio broadcasts. Also given this system does have some limitations, you should not wait on an official alert to take action. The news is full of stories about people who waiting on alerts and official warnings to come before they took action and as a result did not make it through a disaster event, 

If you feel that your life is at risk, then you should not wait on an official warning to come through and should take immediate action yourself. For example in a long or strong earthquake, you should not wait for a Tsunami alert to be generate to start moving to higher ground or evacuating. If it is long or strong, get gone. Depending on where an earthquake is cantered, and how big it is, an official tsunami alert might not come in time. In a case like this, you need to enact your emergency plan, grab your survival kit, or grab bag and emergency food, and head for higher ground. 

 

 

 

Still want to know more?

Independent survey results show that the system works well, and it has great potential to provide urgent emergency information to people who are in an area where their property or life is in danger. Nationwide tests are carried out on a regular basis, making sure the public are aware of how they sound and what they look like, and helping keep people safe. While social media has a place in Emergency Management and helping alert people, this sort of cell broadcast mobile network Emergency Alert system is a step above.