Emergency warning on Sunday

Skydancer

I, and others I've spoken to, think this is to warn us of a nuclear attack. Remember the literature in the 1980s? Take off a door and hide under the stairs and put the door in front of you? My DD says she can take her door off as she's just bought a screwdriver. Her problem is she hasn't got an understairs cupboard. We have though so, as she's only 10 minutes from me, I've suggested that if the alarm sounds she takes off the door and then runs down the road with it to my house. She should just have about time by my reckoning.

Oh that did make me laugh, Skydancer!

My grandparents used to hide under their grand piano when the air raid warnings went off. Luckily their home was never hit. Can't see it being of much use had it been.

So Louella, by your reasoning, the air raid sirens were a waste of money?

AmberSpyglass

Yes, god forbid you’d want to be forewarned in a state of emergency!

😁

I've just had an email from the Red Cross warning me about the warning.

Marydoll

A few years ago, there was a major fire in a factory near us. We had men in hazmaz suits knocking on our door to warn us to stay indoors and close all windows.
A message on my phone would have been more efficient and definitely quicker.

When we got up the following morning, there was ash, containing asbestos everywhere. The cars were covered in white ash.

If we get a warning that we're getting flooded here then I think you'll all be in trouble.

I do remember when there was an explosion at a chemical factory a few miles away several years ago; schools were alerted and all schools were told to shut doors and windows and keep pupils indoors. We were alerted where I worked but I don't know if the general public were informed.

I won't be turning mine off. It makes good sense to have a warning about any kind of imminent disaster . Even if there's only time to pray.

...Take off a door and hide under the stairs and put the door in front of you? My DD says she can take her door off as she's just bought a screwdriver. Her problem is she hasn't got an understairs cupboard. We have though so, as she's only 10 minutes from me, I've suggested that if the alarm sounds she takes off the door and then runs down the road with it to my house. She should just have about time by my reckoning.

😂😂😂

Perhaps this shouldn't have amused me so much but it's given me the best laugh I've had all day... I'm picturing your DD running full speed along the road clutching a door complete with handle, and it's hinges hanging off...

If we were going to have a water or electricity cut in our area or a sudden emergency like a gas explosion, flood or toxic fumes I would want to know. So I wont be turning this alarm off on my nickynobody smartphone.

It will be interesting to see if it sounds on my old dumb phone I have had for so long that it still has buttons!

I don't think I'll even get the warning. I checked the list and my phone is too old.

They’ve saved peoples’ lives here.Events in a crisis can occur very rapidly so I think everyone needs as much warning as possible. I wouldn’t be complacent about it. If it hadn’t been for early warnings one of my daughters and her young family would have died in a bushfire.

Why not use technology if it helps? I would rather be forewarned, but we are all different.

This warning isn’t going to be as loud as I first thought just a fairly subdues alert lasting a few minutes. Best to keep all devices on to allow us to recognise this event and to warn us in the event there is some sort of emergency.

The alert will last 10 seconds.
I already have an alert on my phone which sounds when an elderly relative pushes her SOS button for this reason I cannot block alerts.

Marydoll - not sure if you know this but lots of us already have flood alerts because of where we live. This is an opt-in service.

(Whilst we opted in it does drive us bonkers with false alarms!)

NotSpaghetti

Marydoll - not sure if you know this but lots of us already have flood alerts because of where we live. This is an opt-in service.

(Whilst we opted in it does drive us bonkers with false alarms!)

I am aware. !

I am just bemused by all the fuss. What harm can it do, to receive them.

rosie1959

The alert will last 10 seconds.
I already have an alert on my phone which sounds when an elderly relative pushes her SOS button for this reason I cannot block alerts.

Same position, so we can’t either. We live high up, on the same level as the local reservoir so I’d appreciate knowing if it was going to flood before the water arrived.
Would I bother turning it off if I could? Probably not, and certainly not ‘til I’ve experienced the first one, so I know what all the fuss is about.
Maybe an alert about imminent police arrival would have been appreciated by some politicians.

I've turned mine off for Sunday's practice. But will turn it back on afterwards.

I would also advise anyone with bluetooth hearing aids connected to their phone, to turn it off. The alarm going straight into your ear canal via hearing aids will be extremely loud and very likely to ensure your cup of coffee ends up in your lap!

Marydoll I am just bemused by all the fuss. What harm can it do, to receive them.

Totally agree.

volver3

I don't know what people think we are going to do if there is a "national warning."

Put our heads between our knees and kiss our a** goodbye, maybe?

You must be fitter than me Volver I couldn't do that manoeuvre. I would need the emergency services {which ones aren't on strike?] to undo me.

🤣

wildswan16

I've turned mine off for Sunday's practice. But will turn it back on afterwards.

I would also advise anyone with bluetooth hearing aids connected to their phone, to turn it off. The alarm going straight into your ear canal via hearing aids will be extremely loud and very likely to ensure your cup of coffee ends up in your lap!

Oh goodness, thank you for that wildswan

I don't but a friend has a device like that, I'll warn her.

I will be leaving mine on. I am quite looking forward to it actually as I am a bit of a FOMO. Yes, I know, I need to get out more!

My phone, which I rarely use, will have the warning off because any sudden very loud noise scares me out of my skin. When my smoke alarm went off in the middle of the night I was so panic-struck I killed it with a hammer and a bucket of water. I’d already found it was a false alarm.

It seems a very sensible idea to me. We do have occasions here in the UK of severe weather situations: extreme heat, storms, floods, which have consequences. It seems sensible to be able to warn people living in an affected area should the need arise.

All this conspiracy nonsense about the alarm coming through phones is just that - nonsense.

I’m leaving mine on.
DH has turned his off. We will be hundreds of miles apart on Sunday.
I can’t see a problem in general. He keeps muttering about ‘Nanny State.’

watermeadow, same here, I hate noises. In fact, having turned off alerts - I realised my phone's on silent anyway!

We're not alone, though. There was a persistent, annoying bleeping noise in the local park. I tracked it down and found a smoke alarm lying there in the grass.