A NEW Emergency Alert mobile phone warning service is being trialled in Scotland by the Scottish Government.

The UK-wide system will use new mobile technology to save lives during emergencies.

Emergency Alerts will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby.

In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.

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The government does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert.

You may get alerts about: severe flooding, fires or extreme weather.

Emergency alerts will only be sent by the emergency services or government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies.

Your mobile phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent, vibrate or read out the alert

The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.

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An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.

You’ll get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.

When you get an alert, stop what you’re doing and follow the instructions in the alert.

If you’re driving or riding when you get an alert, you should not read or otherwise respond to an emergency alert whilst driving or riding a motorcycle.

If you are driving, you should continue to drive and not respond to the noise or attempt to pick up the mobile phone and deal with the message.

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Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message.

If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop.

It is illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding.

If you do not have a compatible device, you’ll still be informed about an emergency. The emergency services have other ways to warn you when there is a threat to life.

Emergency alerts will not replace local news, radio, television or social media.

If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert.

There will be a test on Sunday April 23 2023 which will say:

“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 an actual emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.”

Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.