The text of a UK-wide test of the Emergency Alerts system has been released. 

At 3pm on Sunday, April 23, people across Suffolk will recieve a message on their mobile phone, as well as a sound and vibration for up to ten seconds. 

The service had previously been trialled in east Suffolk.

The message will say the following: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.

“In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

“Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.

“This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”

The text will be part of a test by the UK Government. 

The public will not need to take any action - the sound and vibration will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen and continue to use their phone as normal.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said: “At 3pm next Sunday we’ll be doing a nationwide test of our new Emergency Alerts system. 

“Getting this system operational means we have a vital tool to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies.  It could be the sound that saves your life.”

Chief fire officer Alex Woodman, lead for Local Resilience Forums at the National Fire Chiefs Council, added: “We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe, and we need everyone to play their part - and the new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this.

"For 10 seconds, the national test may be inconvenient for some, but it's important, because the next time you hear it - your life, and the life-saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it."

Emma Pickering, senior operations tech abuse manager at Refuge, said: "Next week, the Government plans to send a test alert to all devices including tablets as well as phones.

"These alerts will come through as a loud siren even if devices are on silent, and could alert an abuser to a concealed device. Refuge’s Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment Team have put together two videos on how to turn these alerts off, both on Android phones and on iPhones for anyone that is concerned that these alerts will put their safety at risk. 

“We want to ensure as many survivors as possible know how to ensure these alerts are turned off on their hidden devices. We have more information on securing your devices – for example your location settings or privacy settings – on refugetechsafety.org."