Despite Criticism, UK Deputy PM: Emergency Warning On Mobile Becomes A Voice That Saves Your Life

Illustration- (Photo: Unsplash/Oliver Dowden)

JAKARTA - British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said the emergency warning being tested could be a voice that 'turns your life around.' People across the UK will hear loud alarms on their phones for about 10 seconds on Sunday, April 23 at around 15:00 BST (or 21.00 WIB DKI Jakarta time). Oliver Dowden said no action from the public was needed, although several sporting events and theater shows would be temporarily suspended during the trial event. The new system will be used in flood cases, forest fires, or terror attacks. Mr. Dowden assured people they shouldn't worry, stay calm and continue their day after getting a trial warning on 4G and 5G devices. "The government's number one job is to keep people safe and this is another device for emergency situations, such as floods or forest fires, and where there is a real risk to life. So it's really a voice that can save your life. I will encourage people to remember that today is just a test, there is no need to take any action and you just swipe it like any other message you receive," he stressed. Those who do not want to receive the warning will be able to stay in their device settings, while inactive or in airplane mode phones will also not receive them. Ellie Butt, of the domestic violence charity Refugee, urged women who felt at risk of disabling the warning. "One in four women will experience domestic violence in her life... so, it's safe to assume that there are large numbers of people who need to know that their safety may be at risk from this warning, and they can choose to go out and turn it off," he explained. The test message will read 'This is an Emergency Warning test, a new British government service that will alert you if there are life-threatening emergencies around.' "In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the warning to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/allerts for more information. This is a test. You don't need to take any action." People will then be asked to swipe or click on the message before they can continue. The test on St George's Day coincided with major events including the London Marathon and Premier League matches between Bournemouth and West Ham, as well as Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur, which started at 14.00. World Snooker Championship organizers said they would stop the game before 15:00 p.m. at the Crucible at Sheffield and would resume after the warning. The Society of London Theater also said its members had advised its members to tell people to turn off their phones to "minimize interference on shows".