More than 5 million mobile phones across the country rang, buzzed and lit up after receiving an alert on Sunday night, during this year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system. “The nationwide test is a way to check our systems, the cell towers and your phone’s ability to receive an Emergency Mobile Alert, so we have confidence it will perform as it should in an emergency,” Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) director Gary Knowles said. Emergency Mobile Alerts were an additional channel to help keep people safe in an emergency, and did not replace other ways to stay informed or natural warnings. It was not possible to opt out of receiving an Emergency Mobile Alert. Emergency Mobile Alert messages can only be sent by the National Emergency Management Agency, CDEM groups, Police, Fire and Emergency, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Source: Stuff May 22, 2022 10:51 UTC