Civil Protection will conduct a test of its alert system this Monday at 10:00 AM in several districts of Catalonia, including Barcelona, Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Maresme, Vallès Oriental, and Vallès Occidental. During this exercise, all smartphones in these areas will receive a test message with the text: “Civil Protection Alert Test of the Government of Catalonia. In a real emergency, you would receive instructions on how to protect yourself.” The message will be available in Catalan, Spanish, and English, and will be sent to everyone in the area, including visitors and passersby.
This alert system, which uses a distinctive sound, allows for the rapid dissemination of instructions in emergency situations, such as lockdowns due to chemical hazards or floods. While there is no automatic mechanism to verify that recipients have received the message, a survey will be made available for citizens to report their receipt. It should be noted that those who do not wish to receive the message should turn off their devices or put them in airplane mode, although the alert may still sound on some phones.
Read full news at El Pais.
