Australia is preparing to introduce a new national emergency warning system, designed to deliver critical alerts faster and more reliably during disasters. Whether it's a bushfire, flood or cyclone, timely warnings can give people precious time to act. Ahead of its first nationwide test, we take a closer look at how it works, what Australians can expect and why some emergency agencies still have concerns about the rollout.
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TRANSCRIPT
Australia is preparing to introduce a new national emergency warning system, designed to deliver critical alerts faster and more reliably during disasters.
Whether it's a bushfire, flood or cyclone, timely warnings can give people precious time to act.
Ahead of its first nationwide test, we take a closer look at how it works, what Australians can expect and why some emergency agencies still have concerns about the rollout.
It’s another ordinary Australian day.
A coffee before work.
Grandparents heading home after a family visit.
Children looking forward to the day ahead.
By all appearances it’s just another day.
Café bed dips and fades out completely
Until it isn’t.
That is AusAlert.
It’s loud, it’s deliberate.
It is intended to jolt you into paying attention.
On Monday, you - and millions of others across Australia - will experience it first-hand, exactly as it’s intended to be experienced: sounding from your phone during a nationwide test.
From October, several emergency agencies will begin rolling it out as a new way of warning people about life-threatening emergencies.
Emergency Management Minister, Kristy McBain, says AusAlert is designed to deliver warnings more quickly and reliably than the existing text-based system.
"AusAlert is a modern, more capable system that will deliver emergency alerts to more people in a more timely manner than the existing text-based Emergency Alert system. The system was developed in response to the 2020 Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, which identified the need for a more modern, reliable and nationally consistent public warning capability. Cell broadcast technology, which is used successfully in 35 other countries, is that technology. The benefit of cell broadcast technology is that it is not telco reliant. If a tower is available, compatible devices will receive that alert, and there are no issues with network congestion."
Developed following recommendations from the Black Summer Royal Commission, AusAlert is designed to address weaknesses identified in the existing warning system.
Minister McBain says one of the biggest differences is how the alerts are delivered.
"One of the issues with the current system is if a telco tower goes out and you don't have access to that telco provider, you currently don't receive an emergency text message. With the new system, we use a triangulation, or a modular square of towers. So as long as it pings off any of those towers, you still receive your AusAlert notification. So it is a much more resilient system in the fact that it's not reliant on one tower, but a quadrangle of towers."
In other words, compatible phones can receive a location-specific alert from several nearby mobile towers, rather than relying on a single tower that may have gone offline during an emergency.
The National Emergency Management Agency says state and territory emergency services will decide when and where AusAlert messages are issued, with each jurisdiction using the system according to its own operational needs.
Emergency services will also determine the target area for an alert, with the message broadcast from mobile towers serving that location to compatible devices.
For the most part, the vast majority of those in Australia will never be in an emergency situation requiring an AusAlert.
But just in case, the government wants you to know what it will sounds like as the system's first nationwide test is conducted this coming Monday.
Ms McBain explains what people can expect.
"So at the moment, there will be a siren that sounds on the 27th for 10 seconds, and you'll get a notification on your home screen. It will no longer come through the text message app of your phone. You'll get a notification on your home screen that is much larger than you would normally see. It will say: 'This is a test. We are testing AusAlert. You do not need to take any further action. You can get more information from the AusAlert website.'"
The alert is designed to override silent mode and Do Not Disturb on compatible devices.
While that's intended to make sure warnings aren't missed, it also raises important safety considerations for some.
Karen Bentley, Chief Executive of WESNET, the national peak body for specialist women's domestic and family violence services, has this advice for those who depend on a concealed secret phone for support and in case of an emergency.
"The national test will be a critical alert, and this means it will sound through a device that is on silent or Do Not Disturb. WESNET's recommendation is that if you have a concealed or hidden phone to support your safety, you should consider turning that device off or switching it into aeroplane mode one hour before the national test, and keeping it off or in aeroplane mode for 24 hours. A phone on silent or Do Not Disturb will still receive the alert. A phone that is switched off or in aeroplane mode will not."
Authorities are also reminding motorists not to attempt to handle their phone whiles driving....
The official advice is:
"If you receive an AusAlert while driving or riding, stay calm and don’t touch your device. Mobile phone laws still apply - don't read or respond to the alert while moving."
Only check the message when your vehicle is turned off and it is safe and legal to do so. "
For the most part, emergency agencies support the new technology.
But some states say the transition from the existing Emergency Alert system needs to be managed carefully.
Queensland Emergency Services Minister Daniel Purdie says the state supports AusAlert, but has concerns about the transition from the existing Emergency Alert system.
"AusAlert is potentially life-saving technology, and we do support that. But we need to make sure Queenslanders aren't put at risk, and there are concerns around the gaps as we transition from the Emergency Alert system to AusAlert."
Among the concerns are those held by regional communities with limited or no mobile phone coverage, which continue to rely on automated voice messages sent to landlines.
Queensland's emergency services minister wants to ensure those communities remain protected during the transition.
"Queensland is the most disaster-prone state. We've got a lot of people in regional communities that rely on those landlines. We'll be asking those questions, because we need to make sure Queenslanders aren't put at risk."
The Federal Government says that's why both systems will continue to operate side by side while AusAlert is introduced, leaving it up to emergency agencies to decide which warning tools to use.
"The two systems will continue to run alongside each other. States and territories will continue to use Emergency Alert during this high-risk weather season. We are continuing to test AusAlert, including the national test next week, and emergency service agencies can choose to use either system. This is another technology that can help make sure people receive advice and notification during critical situations, but those decisions remain with the emergency service agencies managing the disaster."
Authorities say Monday's nationwide test is also about identifying any issues before AusAlert is relied upon during a real emergency.
New South Wales Emergency Services Minister, Jihad Dib, says that's exactly why testing is going nationwide.
"This is about making sure we can get messages out to communities in their time of need.The national test will help us understand what further improvements can be made, what impact the system has, and what we still need to do.These are active conversations taking place between the states and the Commonwealth."
AusAlert is designed to work alongside existing emergency warnings and information services.
Ms McBain says it's intended to complement - not replace - advice from emergency broadcasters and frontline responders.
"In an emergency, people want as much information as possible. They get it through alerts and notifications. They get it from emergency broadcasters. They get it from emergency services on the ground. There is no single silver bullet in emergency management."
AusAlert is another tool in the toolkit, and it's incredibly important that people continue to listen to the advice of emergency services."
Most Australians will only hear the AusAlert tone during Monday's test at 2pm their local time.
The government hopes that is always the case,
And if the day comes when that sound is heard for real, they'll want you to recognise it, understand it and act on it.
