Mock Drill: A country-wide emergency mock drill is planned on May 7, and users of smartphones all over India may hear loud alert messages. It won’t arrive like a normal message- it will be a part of a test initiated by the government for making people ready for actual emergencies. To ensure that you don’t miss it, you need to enable an important setting on your smartphone immediately.
Why This Mock Drill Is Happening
The simulated drill will be conducted in 244 civil defence districts of the nation. It is being organized after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of Home Affairs is organizing this huge exercise to test the emergency alert system’s functionality in all areas.
Technology Behind the Emergency Alert
India can test its 5G-powered cell broadcast emergency alert system for the first time through this exercise. Unlike standard SMS or app notifications, this alert will employ a new mechanism created in collaboration by C-DOT, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The largest benefit of this system is that it can send messages to millions of devices in seconds, even in multiple languages, and even when your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode. It supports both 4G and 5G networks.
Advantages of Emergency Alerts
Emergency alerts come in the form of full-screen alerts with a beep or siren sound, regardless of whether your phone is in silent mode or not. Emergency alerts can promptly inform you about occurrences like natural disasters, terror attacks, floods, earthquakes, or missing individuals. Getting alerts on time during such incidents makes people respond and remain safe immediately.
How to Enable Emergency Alerts on Android Devices
In order to get these alerts, first, open your phone’s Setting menu. Next, navigate to Safety & Emergency or simply search for Wireless Emergency Alerts. Click on it and enable the below-mentioned settings: Extreme threats, Severe threats, Public safety alerts, Allow Alerts, Alert sound, and Override Do Not Disturb.
Please be advised that the exact names of menus might slightly differ based on the brand of your phone, like Samsung, Xiaomi, or OnePlus.
Why Enabling This Alert Is Important
Every second counts during an emergency. This alert system provides you with a valuable head start by warning you of threats as they occur. The objective of the mock drill is to create awareness and condition the public to react in a timely manner. That is why it’s crucial to inspect and enable the emergency alert settings on your phone today.
