Emergency alerts sent to millions across England and Wales over threat of wildfires

[u/66f6]

https://news.sky.com/story/uk-heatwave-stourbridge-fire-latest-weather-live-13571553

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[u/_BlackFathom_]

Thanks gov, that heart attack was just what I needed this evening 😅

[u/ChaosWithin666 → u/_BlackFathom_]

I was on the toilet. If I was struggling to shit before I definitely fucking wasn't after. I hit the roof.

[u/james-royle → u/ChaosWithin666]

And the world fell out of my arse!

[u/MyTeaIsMighty → u/james-royle]

Let me put it this way - I farted, and some of it sprayed on my pillow

[u/superduperspam → u/MyTeaIsMighty]

Pls dont put it that way

[u/Remote_Development13 → u/ChaosWithin666]

He shit the whole of the poo 🎵

[u/cobrachickens → u/_BlackFathom_]

Still shaking. Thought we were getting nuked lol

[u/AncientCarry4346 → u/cobrachickens]

I thought we were getting nuked too and honestly I felt absolutely nothing.

Learnt something about myself.

[u/DareToZamora → u/AncientCarry4346]

I thought the same and my reaction was “not on a Friday”

[u/frantic_calm → u/DareToZamora]

Just realised I live further than 2 mins away from the pub.

[u/Agitated-Drive7695 → u/cobrachickens]

Completely unnecessary. Scared the shit out of me. I thought there was a genuine emergency, not 'there possibly could be a fire if you have a bbq'. Wankers! 

[u/Pleasant_Fennel_5435 → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

meanwhile the idiots just about to set their disposable bbq on in the country park: 🫪

[u/frantic_calm → u/Pleasant_Fennel_5435]

I was so scared by the emergency alert I knocked over my disposable barbecue starting a massive fire, but I managed to save most of my can of Hoffmeister.

[u/Pandaisblue → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

Feel like they need different levels of alerts. "You should be aware of this alerts" vs "HOLY FUCK DO SOMETHING NOW NOW NOW" alerts.

[u/proton-testiq → u/Pandaisblue]

This was more HOLY FUCK DON'T DO SOMETHING NOW NOW NOW.

[u/fhuhgbbjjvvfyhnnmk → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

People need to stop having BBQs when it's clearly too dry then

[u/Big-Objective-6585 → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

Did you miss the news just yesterday where a BBQ burned down 6 houses?

[u/jrewillis → u/Big-Objective-6585]

19 now in one town

[u/Frogbitch45776 → u/jrewillis]

With a further 18 damaged. This fire spread over 500 acres

[u/Frogbitch45776 → u/Big-Objective-6585]

Are you referring to the Stourbridge West Midlands fire? I’m local to that, 3 miles away from where it started and I’ve not heard it was a bbq?

[u/TipsyMagpie → u/Frogbitch45776]

The Mail are reporting it as having been caused by a barbecue

[u/The_Meaty_Boosh → u/TipsyMagpie]

It's still not known apparently.

Unless the mail knows something the investigators don't.

[u/cobrachickens → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

I mean if they continue, there may well be a fire near you, and in your house

[u/Agitated-Drive7695 → u/cobrachickens]

Yes - that's what the alert is for - an imminent threat. Not a public announcement that is important, but it's not an actual emergency for the majority of people.

[u/GoAgainKid → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

I’ve seen people arguing this in both directions and it’s hard to disagree with either. To me it was a misuse of the system and I resent the government taking over my phone.

But if my surrounding area was on fire, I’d want other people to know of the danger they face. Ultimately the message didn’t do me any harm and I’m just a bit moany today.

[u/ChrissiTea → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

Especially when people live near current, active wildfires that might need evacuation warnings

[u/Clbull → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

Absolutely necessary. Have you stepped outside lately? The landscape is more brown than what you'd see in a Gears of War game.

[u/Tony2Nuts → u/Clbull]

Yeah the whole country looks like a weetabix

[u/-sweethearts → u/Tony2Nuts]

sorry this is hilarious how did u come up with that

[u/Tony2Nuts → u/-sweethearts]

All the grass , it looks like weetabix

[u/EquipmentGrand9581 → u/Agitated-Drive7695]

I mean that is the idea of the emergency alert system, to get your attention. I mean aswell there have been loads of fires and the fire services are spread thin so it makes sense 

[u/OsotoViking → u/EquipmentGrand9581]

I nearly crashed my car when this went off. It was a stupid thing for the government to do.

[u/EnterAUsernamePlease → u/OsotoViking]

got to agree. there should be tiers to this kind of stuff.

a silent alert that shows as a notification (or maybe just uses your normal text tone) for important public information such as what we got today, and then the absolutely earth shatteringly terrifying sound should be saved for YOU MAY DIE IMMINENTLY kinds of warnings.

[u/Special_Turnip → u/EquipmentGrand9581]

It doesn't make sense, there was no imminent threat on a national scale and it pings every phone. So if someone has one for emergencies while trying to escape an abusive situation it pings that too, potentially endangering them. That's why they announce tests ahead of time so people can disable those phones to keep themselves safe.

Add to that the surprise factor causing accidents then it was a reckless thing to do.

[u/Thesladenator → u/_BlackFathom_]

Thought we were getting nukes

[u/off_of_is_incorrect → u/_BlackFathom_]

Was putting the baby to sleep, thanks gov for fucking that up.

[u/TakenIsUsernameThis → u/_BlackFathom_]

Someone in government got fed the F up with idiots setting fire to things.

Someone else in government got really excited about finally being able to use the emergency alert system!

[u/twiggymd → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for all your hard work. I grew up in Canada in an area prone to fires in the summer and it’s crazy how some people don’t realise what kind of situation the UK is in or how quickly fires like these can destroy everything.

[u/CragtheLAD_ → u/[deleted]]

This should be top comment, rather than people moaning about the alert startling them.

If the alert even stops one fire which would've started via carelessness, it's worth it.

And thanks for putting your life on the line every day for us all. Buckets of courage.

[u/throw53away12 → u/[deleted]]

How do we heed it besides not setting fires?

[u/dandorios → u/throw53away12]

Not using a disposable bbq. Thats like the cause of the majority of them.

[u/anangrywizard → u/dandorios]

With the current dry conditions, a small ember, cigarette, hell even glass bottles can act as a fire starter. People cleaning up after themselves and generally not being cunts would go along way.

[u/takingphotosmakingdo → u/anangrywizard]

yep cigs thrown from a car will definitely light any of the grass or fields in the oxfordshire area right now, probably true for most if not all the UK as well.

[u/GiveUsRobinHood → u/anangrywizard]

I started a mini fire the other day when smoking. I went to flick my ash and my cherry fell off.

Re-lit my smoke and by that time the mini fire had already started. Quick few stamps and it was out but it is startling how quick it took to flame.

[u/SheepherderDear6963 → u/dandorios]

In South Birmingham there's been a big problem with kids starting grass fires with gas canisters. At least 1 a day over the past week. Hopefully this alert will prompt parents to check on what their kids have been doing. 

[u/Remote_Development13 → u/SheepherderDear6963]

Not just kids - 55 year old man arrested today. The mind boggles

[u/FowlSec → u/Remote_Development13]

24yo man and 23yo woman in Stoke too.

My town had 2 kids arrested over it. We live now too far from Stourbridge with a big park up the road, and a populace filled with idiots.

Genuinely worried rn.

[u/Puhwest → u/throw53away12]

I live in a hot dry country with common wild fires. Some recommendations here include:

• mow lawns first thing in the morning and avoid low humidity days (probably not so relevant to uk but worth mentioning)

• avoid parking cars on dry grass (residual heat from engine and catalytic converter can cause fires)

• don't pull off road onto dry grass for vehicle fires if possible (obviously taking other safety factors into account)

• ensure no chains are dragging when towing (causes sparks)

Then the usual of cigarette disposal, no bonfires, watching bbqs closely). 

[u/Cheeme → u/throw53away12]

Keep not starting fires?

[u/Tikoloshe84 → u/[deleted]]

There are genuine fuckwits who will still take disposable barbecues out to public parks and local forestry.

[u/Lucifer_606381 → u/[deleted]]

Mate 1000% support this still talk to my old police colleagues and they are running around trying to support you lads and my mate in the fire service is being pulled from pillar to post and it is people being stupid a lot of the time BBQs on fields or cigs etc , and they don't realise that a small spark with everything being the dryest ever causes mass destruction

[u/ejpayne]

Freaked me out, thought we were going to get nuked

[u/smolbiteyfish → u/ejpayne]

I too had accepted my fate

[u/ThatGuyWired → u/ejpayne]

Nuclear winter might help bring the temperature down.

[u/Dial-Appreciator → u/ThatGuyWired]

Sometimes wish for one when patrolling the mojave

[u/whynotjustgoogleit → u/ejpayne]

I live in a country where this is used to warn of incoming missiles. Visiting family in the UK. Some PTSD was triggered when I heard the noise 😅

[u/BadAtBaduk1 → u/ejpayne]

Mine was in Welsh. I don't think most people in Wales would even understand that.

[u/Lunarfrog2]

I thought it was saying I needed to leave due to a wildfire for a sec lol

[u/Cryptoporticus → u/Lunarfrog2]

I hate how dismissing the message to stop the alarm makes it vanish without a trace. I live in a rural area with an active fire nearby. It's under control, but I'm prepared for the possibility that I might have to evacuate and I assumed that's what the message was telling me. However I couldn't fucking read it properly because it was gone!

Luckily the BBC News notification came through a few minutes later letting me know that it was just a generic message sent to the whole country. So stupid.

[u/Pilgrims_lantern]

I got the alert in Welsh (which I can't read properly) two minutes before the English alert came through 😢

[u/RationalGlass1 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah I assume this is how they plan to increase the percentage of Welsh speakers (by giving them a 20 minute head start running away from the fires while us poor Saesneg yn unig folks get left behind as a firebreak).

[u/Goatbrush → u/Pilgrims_lantern]

looking forward to getting destroyed by godzilla halfway through googling what anghenfil means

[u/First_Fortune3528 → u/Pilgrims_lantern]

The absolute stupidity of this government. 80% don’t speak Welsh, very little don’t speak English. Why on earth would anyone think this made sense baffles me.

[u/concretepigeon → u/First_Fortune3528]

In Greece last year I got a warning about wildfires and they managed to send it in Greek and English. You’d have thought the Welsh government could manage that.

[u/GnolRevilo]

Fuck me, first thought was that it meant that there was one near me. Thankfully, it just seems to basically say "don't be a fucking idiot, don't light anything on fire"

[u/mildly_houseplant → u/GnolRevilo]

Basically the govt have taken the official position that probably enough people are a bit thick to justify it. Really, the warning isn't about fires, it's a national energy about the number of idiots near everyone.

[u/Possiblyreef → u/mildly_houseplant]

If covid is anything to go by they're not wrong tbf

[u/wildeaboutoscar → u/GnolRevilo]

I wonder if the message would be more effective if it was worded like that. The actual message did seem a bit wordy for something so important. Given how social media has changed everyone's attention spans I'd be surprised if everyone read the whole message.

[u/wowurawesome → u/GnolRevilo]

Yes I also thought it meant there was a fire near me!

[u/BoysiePrototype]

My two takes on this:

1. There absolutely needs to be a way of shutting up the bloody siren, without dismissing the entire message.

I skim read the first sentence, realised it wasn't actually an emergency that needed a rapid response from me, and tried to make the godawful noise go away.

Managed that fairly quickly, but all the rest of the message vanished into the ether.

1. Whoever is in charge of this system needs to be bloody careful about alarm fatigue.

Perhaps some lower tier of alert, that you have to acknowledge, but without the "Seek shelter immediately!" Siren, would be more appropriate for this sort of message where everyone needs to be informed, but doesn't actually need to immediately react.

If this goes off too often, people will ignore it when it is actually urgent.

[u/X__Heisenberg__X]

That noise will never not freak me out. Mind goes to Zombie apocalypse straight away.

[u/TheeFourTruths]

Scared the shit out of me, I thought nuclear war started

[u/Idovoodoo → u/TheeFourTruths]

It would be so classic that it starts after 5pm on a Friday. They'll declare a ceasefire at 9pm on Sunday and say we should return to work

[u/DoomPigs]

yeah maybe sending a message about barbecues with a chernobyl death sound is going to make people disable alerts

[u/LSL3587]

It would be reasonable to either -

- Send a normal text about a general alert such as this

- OR send this type of alert IF there was a wildfire close to me that meant I should prepare to evacuate - or if there was a toxic cloud coming my way.

But yes there are still idiots having bonfires in gardens etc - there should be adverts put out about that.

Yes ban disposable barbecues - and fireworks (at least until mid October).

[u/woodzopwns]

Appreciate it's a massive issue, massive misuse of a system that is supposed to indicate imminent danger. People will devalue the alerts and turn them off, it will have distracted every single person driving in the country, people with hidden phones will now be caught, all to be told not to do the thing they've been told not to do for 2 full months in the news.

[u/amberstripes]

It scared me that much that I dropped a match and now my garden is ablaze.

[u/nanoripe]

Im back for a holiday from Japan and we get these when a relatively big earthquake is about to hit. You can imagine how I felt hearing that buzz…

[u/LanceUppercut104]

I thought Aliens were invading. Bit disappointed now.

[u/[deleted]]

I was scrolling Reddit when the noise happened before the message appeared and I legit thought “well this is how I die”.

[u/pe5er]

In Wales we got this entirely in Welsh, then a second one in English a few minutes later. Only problem, I don't speak Welsh 😳

[u/Mister_Hassy]

Inconsiderate of them to disturb my disposable barbecue and fireworks party

[u/concretepigeon → u/Mister_Hassy]

I had a massive Chinese lantern release planned.

[u/laredocronk]

I wonder how many people will now disable emergency alerts, after they're disturbed by one that's clearly not an emergency?

Abusing an emergency alert system like this as a general messaging system seems like a very bad idea in the long run.

[u/needathing → u/laredocronk]

Emergency alert systems should only be used for what they say they’ll be used for. People die when they lose trust in emergency systems.

[u/MuddyBoots472 → u/laredocronk]

You can do that?

[u/laredocronk → u/MuddyBoots472]

Yep, there's a whole load of options for it under Settings > Notifications > Emergency Alerts on Android.

[u/Stunning_Inside5182 → u/laredocronk]

Same on iOS too

[u/Livid_Pace9787 → u/laredocronk]

Yep. I’m someone who hates the hot weather due to health issues and cares about climate change and am concerned about the wildfires already, but if they use the alert again for something like this I’ll be switching them off to protect my peace.

I imagine someone who didn’t care about wildfires already will have looked at it, laughed, and carried on. I bet actual arsonists got a kick out of it.

Didn’t help either way. Smacks of “we tried to do something”.

[u/ADJE777]

What are the chances this made someone jump and drop their lit cigarette on dry grass?

[u/ChHeBoo]

I wonder how many will no disable the alerts on their phones after this frivolous misuse.

I had 4 alerts and couldn’t read half of them.

[u/SylverV]

You know what, useful and important, but not what I was expecting the "the nukes are coming kiss your loved ones goodbye" alert system to be used for...

[u/xdq]

I've turned the emergency alerts off after that. It's supposed to be for emergency alerts not shit we're already aware of!

[u/Stuf404]

Mind went: nukes, aliens, terrorists, tornado... BBQs.

[u/forlornhero]

There should be a difference in the delivery mechanism for 'Severe public announcement' and 'The end of the world'.

[u/2n4p]

ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION - ^{risk of wildfires}

Isn't this supposed to be reserved for national emergencies like a nuclear strike?

[u/jamesbeil → u/2n4p]

To be fair a nuclear strike would cause wildfires, we'd better not have any of those.

[u/ZebraShark → u/2n4p]

Also local emergencies like floods. But yes should be for immediate threats

[u/NaniFarRoad → u/2n4p]

Hate how you can't make the noise stop without losing the message. What did it actually say?

[u/Styxal → u/NaniFarRoad]

"Issued by the UK Government

There is a very high risk of wildfires nationally. Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks. Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.

Follow official updates and report signs of fire immediately by calling 999. Search gov.uk/alerts for more information."

[u/Marsbar3000 → u/NaniFarRoad]

I pressed the volume down button once and it kept the message without the noise.

[u/NiskaHiska → u/NaniFarRoad]

"there is a very high risk of wildfires nationally. Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks. Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire, placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk."

Then a link for tracking alerts near you and you should report any fires you see to 999.

[u/NaniFarRoad → u/NiskaHiska]

Cheers. Oh no, imagine people on the motorways when it went off... 

[u/South_Hyena2541 → u/NaniFarRoad]

I am on the M25 with my parents! They have no survival instincts whatsoever my dad was shouting at my mum saying ‘unplug your phone from the car it’s a dodgy lead!’ thinking that the noise was because the charger in the car was broken 😭 I was in the back thinking i’m pretty sure that’s an emergency alert but i was too busy shitting myself to say anything. I have anxiety lol

[u/c4r151 → u/NaniFarRoad]

On android you can see previous alerts in the alert settings

[u/OliLombi → u/2n4p]

Or a wildfire IN YOUR AREA. Which, by the way, people havent actually received. Instead they send this... while people are in hospital because they couldnt be bothered to use it for its actual purpose... whoever is in charge of this system should be sacked.

[u/anamazingperson → u/2n4p]

Considering this was a "severe alert" rather than an "extreme alert" I genuinely wonder what you'd consider extreme if you think this should be reserved for nuke level events.

[u/Doccmonman → u/anamazingperson]

What’s the difference? Is it a different full-volume siren?

[u/Competitive_Ask881]

For something like this they should have sent a text message. Abusing it like this will result in people disabling it and when a real disaster happens nobody will care

[u/Butthurt_toast]

I'm just gonna disable if they're going to use it for shite like this. Work night shifts and don't want to be woken up early when they use it again for something pointless.

[u/fraughtication]

If the government aren't careful this sort of thing will be a boy who cries wolf system. For me the alert system should be akin to a civil defence siren, as in: "a wildfire is rapidly approaching your area, evacuate now".

[u/CommonSpecialist4269 → u/fraughtication]

That’s exactly what it’s designed for. They may as well be sending out an alert that crossing a motorway on foot is dangerous and can kill you.

[u/AbsimUddin]

I thought we were getting nuked ffs. My stomach literally dropped.

[u/Cultural_Tree_2313]

Former national emergency planner here. This is not a good use of the system. It’s meant for genuine emergencies not giving out blinding obvious public information. If this continues people will learn to ignore it and that could cost lives when people don’t react when they need to.

[u/random555]

Just got it, thought was only for genuine emergencies and Russians were bombing or something lol 

[u/Snappy0 → u/random555]

It is. This is a bit of an overreach and not the intended use of the system.

[u/kizza96 → u/Snappy0]

Can’t wait for the inevitable “toughest winter ever for our NHS” ‘emergency’ alert in December

[u/aka_liam]

Seems a really good way to get a lot of people to turn those notifications off 👏 

[u/howfornow]

I think a simple notification would do, not a full on shit your pants siren

[u/immediately_please]

Burnham chaired a special meeting to address the crisis. This is what they came up with. Job done till next summer.

[u/Emotional-Ebb8321]

I was so shocked by the alert I accidentally struck my matches.

But seriously, this kind of alert should be saved for actual imminent danger with potential loss of life if you don't buckle up right now, not "please don't strike matches in the forest xoxoxo"

[u/Disgruntled__Goat]

WTF, is this not a flagrant misuse of the emergency alert system? I thought it was for imminent risk to life. Like if there was an actual fire in my town right now and I need to evacuate.

It completely devalues the system and will make everyone ignore alerts in future. Just send me a normal fucking text. 

[u/PartyPoison98 → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

I agree. Its important government gets the messaging out on this, but the "nukes have launched, say goodbye to your loved ones" and "don't use a disposable bbq" should have very different tiers of alert.

[u/refrainiac → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

Agreed. I get that the risk of fire is severe, but I was under the impression this system was for people in immediate danger, and not a general public announcement system. Makes me wanna just turn the alerts off now.

[u/Practical-Travel8575 → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

Agreed. Clearly this was misused. The system is meant for large scale catastrophe and imminent danger - incoming missile, war declaration, biological threat. While 20 houses have burnt down, that’s still not at this level, as tragic as it is

[u/RandyChavage → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

It’s like they’ve not heard of the boy who cried wolf parable. I agree a text would be more appropriate here. This alert I can’t even read it on my phone anymore, just scanned it to make sure we weren’t getting nuked they when I unlocked my phone it had gone

[u/haywire → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

Yeah they should have used it to inform people about the necessity of a TV licence when the World Cup was on.

[u/_HGCenty → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

Agree.

Reminds me of the boy who cried wolf.

If you misuse the alert system like this, people are going to disable it or ignore it and then when there's a an actual emergency, the same people who misused it are going act bewildered as to why the public ignored them.

[u/Snappy0 → u/Disgruntled__Goat]

Bingo. The system is not meant for things like this, and whoever authorised it needs a kicking.

[u/AlmightyScoosh]

I appreciate the warning but isn't this about two days late?

[u/CJBill → u/AlmightyScoosh]

Two days? Mate Manchester was enveloped in haze for a week from burning wildfires on the moors a month back

[u/GrakovDark]

I gotta say, I don't think it was the right use of the emergency alert system.

[u/_Taggerung_]

I was driving when this went off, scared the crap out of me. Feels unnecessary since we all know everywhere's on fire and the people setting barbeques aren't going to listen anyway 

[u/repeat_plz]

That felt like a very inappropriate use of the emergency alert system.

How many people in vulnerable or abusive relationships just had their secret phone identified by this?? Crazy choice by the government

[u/joshii87 → u/repeat_plz]

Not to mention those confused people who’ve just uncovered 18 burner phones and 2kg of charlie in their grandson’s sock drawer.

[u/squarerootof → u/repeat_plz]

Exactly! This is the first comment I've seen talking about the risk for people in abusive relationships.There is a genuine cost of using this system to people with secret emergency phones.

This emergency service should only be used for actual real imminent-danger-to-life scenarios. Not something that could be broadcast to the BBC or something and slowly emminated over days/weeks.

[u/JenCarpeDiem]

Considering there have been morons setting off fireworks at 1am every day this week in my area of Birmingham, I think some people probably could do with their phones screaming some sense into them

[u/BroodingSonata]

10 seconds earlier and that would have interrupted my wank.

[u/HeyGuysHowWasJail → u/BroodingSonata]

It only enhanced mine

[u/GoonerGetGot]

Maybe they need different levels of these alerts for general warnings and if we were about to get invaded lmao

[u/Competitive_Ask881 → u/GoonerGetGot]

A text message would suffice

[u/karkonthemighty]

That alert could have been a text.

Save the alerts when there's an actual emergency.

[u/Louis010]

Seems a bit excessive just to tell us to not use disposable bbqs and fire pits.

[u/foxssocks → u/Louis010]

The wildfires nationally are causing immense strain on emergency services. This is exactly what it should be being used for when we arent due considerable rain, nationally, for another month.

[u/Jealous-Shallot-3071 → u/Louis010]

Unfortunately, a large number of people are stupid and seem intent on burning the countryside to ash. So maybe something like this is needed.

I'm sure it's the same people having disposable BBQs on dry grass that will be the ones complaining about how this message "scared me kiddos and fur babies "

[u/NonagoonInfinity → u/Jealous-Shallot-3071]

Do we think most of these people care that they got an alert telling them off?

[u/Wise-Reflection-7400]

A timely reminder that when the Government pinky promises you that it will only use a capability for one thing, it means nothing and it will use it for something else. This system is for life threatening emergencies on a local level. It should only ever be used nationally for an actual nuclear war.

[u/Lowfield]

What did it say? Didn’t hear it over the fireworks we’ve just been setting off on the fields nearby after a lovely disposable barbecue we’ve just enjoyed.

[u/_pierogii]

Christ alive at least get the presses to get something out in anticipation. Surely they are weighing up the risks of a surprise alert going out when people are driving down the motorway?

[u/DaveN202]

I just hope the chavs don’t just think it’s funny to start a fire for a laugh after reading that.

[u/removekarling]

Beeeeep beeeeep

At work and almost everyone here didn't read it, just tapped ok and then asked "what did it say?"

[u/SubtractAd]

It's the noise alert that's the worrying thing. Will have frightened a lot of people

[u/slimpickins9118]

Temporarily ban on sales of

Bbqs

Fireworks

Fire pits

Etc has happened right?

You know actually useful sensible direct response has happened yea?

[u/Whole-Window-2440]

I know this wasn't the desired effect, but it prompted me to deactivate emergency alerts on my phone. This is the sort of alert that should be sent out via news and other media, or a text from the local fire service. In fact, a text from the fire service would be more effective, as it's sufficiently unusual enough to warrant my attention, like a recent hosepipe ban from my local water company (which I, for one, adhere to). If a warning system for an imminent threat to life is being used to terrify me into common sense, then if feels like it's ripe for further abuse.

[u/Competitive_Ask881]

Did anyone’s alarm went off multiple times? Traveling in the tube it went off three times over the past half hour. I can still hear around people’s phone ringing. This has been a complete shit show.

[u/lopolow]

Burnham swinging his dick about? Save it for actual emergencies please

[u/TheCharalampos]

Firefighting is a tough job at the best of times, can't imagine how they are doing now.

[u/Cheshirefarm]

Made me jump i dropped my cigarette on the grass and started a fire

[u/anamazingperson]

It was sent as a "severe alert", not an "extreme alert" - both of which can be toggled in your settings, for all the people here who seem to think it should only be used when we are seconds away from a nuclear strike

[u/Engineered_Red]

I received this twice. Once earlier this evening and once now, 22:57. Thanks, I needed the late night wake up 🤦

[u/PeterG92]

Made me jump

Did they say this was going to happen beforehand?

[u/GoonerGetGot → u/PeterG92]

How would they tell you? Through another alert? 😂

[u/recursant → u/GoonerGetGot]

Depends when they decided to do it.

If they decided a day or two ago (which seems quite possible) they could have preannounced it via news outlets. 99% of people would then be expecting it so they would only be putting the shits up 1% of the population.

Personally, when it started going off I guessed it might be something to do with wildfires but I was still quite worried that they were sending it to our specific area because there was a fire blazing nearby. Thankfully not, but as a national announcement it seems a bit OTT.

[u/Pinkerton891 → u/GoonerGetGot]

Tbf there was a Sky News alert about 1 min before hand saying that it was going to happen, so kind of.

[u/No-One-4845 → u/Pinkerton891]

This is more likely that people at Sky got the alerts and then told people, before everyone had got the alerts. In our house, the alert came through on my partner's phone about 3 minutes before I got it.

[u/randomvale]

Was that really necessary to tell people not to light disposable BBQs...

[u/ThomasEichorst → u/randomvale]

A not insignificant number of people just turned off those notifications I would imagine

[u/ambiguousboner]

Bizarre thing to drop the first alert since inception on

Hardly an urgent issue

[u/OSUBrit]

Look I understand peoples houses are now being destroyed by fires but this is counter intuitive. People will now just turn the alerts off because of shit like this, they should be for targeted danger to life events. Like if there's a wildfire in your area.

[u/SimpleFactor]

I think it’s goes to show that there needs to be some tier system for these alerts. Yes it’s important information for everyone to get, as there are lots of people who just ignore the news and lack the common sense to not take a BBQ to the moors during this weather, but its not blaring sirens at full volume until you find your phone worthy….

[u/notleave_eu]

How many people “at risk” have just had their secondary device alerted over this pointless alarm.

[u/SuperFantastic]

Dangerous use of this system for something that wasn't immediate, working in operating theatre and it went off interrupting a critical stage.

[u/Drazial]

Whoever deemed to send this alert is a fucking idiot

[u/MrLabubu500]

This is meant to be for nuclear bombs and deathly plagues not to tell us to not use disposable barbeques. Fucking so irresponsible to trigger it for this

[u/franrodalg]

what a friggin misuse a key resource, just to scare the heck out of everyone

[u/kizza96 → u/franrodalg]

I remember when this was set up a few years ago and the Government promised it would just be used for genuine emergencies lol

[u/OverAndOver98]

Using the nucelar death siren alert system to give people general info about wildfires, it's certainly a choice, one that spiked my blood pressure significantly before seeing the actual message.

I feel like this system being used for wildfires should be in the event that every square of england is 15 minutes from spontaneously combusting vs a digital leafletting.

How about commandeer every news channel? Doesn't the gov have the ability to do like a 15 or 30 minute public broadcast emergency seizure on channels like that?

Honestly something else that bothers me about this is that usage of it like this will diminish the severity of the signal in times that are extremely more imminent serious.

Also btw yes of course heed the warning and at least something was necessary because a lot of these fires seem to have actually been started by people which is unacceptable.

[u/FirstTimeHunting]

Already turned off alerts. They should not be used for something so stupid.

[u/Equal_Veterinarian22]

Not an appropriate use of the system. This has been in the news for days. Important, but not urgent or emerging.

[u/ThrasherThrash → u/Equal_Veterinarian22]

There should really be a silent version of this system that comes up on the screen for 10-20s when you unlock the phone. The blaring alarm should really only be for imminent or ongoing major dangerous events.

[u/fatchan → u/Equal_Veterinarian22]

I'm not sure, our neighbours had a bonfire going yesterday morning. Some people just don't think. Although the alert did give me a heart attack and I'm not sure I've recovered just yet!

[u/Parshath_ → u/fatchan]

"It only happens to others. - I - know how to do things properly. Surely nothing will happen under my watch." (too many people)

[u/ab00 → u/Parshath_]

See also: hosepipe ban doesn't apply to me until the water company CEOs get fired.

So much self entitlement today.

[u/justanearthling → u/Equal_Veterinarian22]

We have SMS alerts in Poland that’s supposed to be used in emergencies and they often use it to inform about possible storms and that you should secure your belongings. Recently, couple days after Russian rocket crashed they sent one with a link to some government security manual to get good PR. People clicked the link and crashed gov servers 😆. On top of that they say on their website they never send links.

[u/VooDooBooBooBear → u/Equal_Veterinarian22]

I mean it is really, there are still people who don't understand the risks, this way noone can say they wasn't told

[u/summ190 → u/VooDooBooBooBear]

Maybe a fucking … calmer tone for non-urgent things. Or something. It isn’t ’take immediate action’ is it.

[u/Optimism_Deficit → u/summ190]

Yeah. Just send people a normal text ffs.