During the next few days different administrations will activate ES-Alert system drills that ring and display messages on mobile phones. The calls affect Catalonia, the Basque Country and the Canary Islands, with specific times and areas to check service coverage and correct reception of notifications.
This is not a real emergency: the notice will come with a unmistakable beep and an informative text. Citizens are asked to remain calm, read the message and do not call 112 unless there is real needThe objective is to evaluate the system and strengthen public awareness of its operation.
Catalonia: Tuesday at 10:00 in Camp de Tarragona, Terres de l'Ebre and Penedès
On Tuesday at 10:00, Civil Protection of the Generalitat will issue a test notice that will ring on the mobile phones present in the veguerías of Camp de Tarragona, Terres de l'Ebre and Penedès, also in the terminals for people passing by road or rail within the covered areas.
The regions included are:
- Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Conca de Barberà, Priorat and Tarragonès
- Baix Ebre, Montsià, Ribera d'Ebre and Terra Alta
- Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès, Garraf and part of l'Anoia
The text of the notice shall clearly indicate that it's a drill and, in a real case, self-protection instructions would be provided. It will be sent in Catalan, Spanish and English and will be accompanied by a shrill sound It's different from the rest of the phone's tones; to stop it, simply press the on-screen button or the side volume button. You don't need to call 112.
At the end, citizens will be invited to complete an anonymous survey to indicate whether they received the notification, in what language, and with which company, in order to detect possible improvements. It is recommended not to accept the message before reading it, and if you are driving, avoid sudden maneuvers prioritizing road safety.
The device was presented in the 112 from Reus and in the Government Delegation in Tortosa, with the participation of territorial officials and Civil Protection, stressing that these tests serve to verify correct operation, identify adjustments and remind the population how to act if a real alert is ever issued due to serious risk such as confinements due to chemical incidents or floods.
Euskadi: Balmaseda and surrounding areas, Thursday at noon
Thursday October 2, around the 11:30, SOS Deiak (112) will activate a drill in Balmaseda and its surroundings. The alert will reach the terminals connected to the antennas in the warning area and with the reception of “Civil Protection Pre-Alerts” enabled.
After the characteristic beep, the devices will display a message clarifying that there is no real risk and that this is a mass alert activation test. The content will be displayed in Basque, Spanish and English, and will indicate that you should press “Accept” to remove the notice from the screen once you have read it.
The Basque Government encourages downloading the SOS Deiak app to report incidents directly to the emergency center and improve coordination. The application incorporates the “112 Inverse”, which allows you to receive specific risk warnings based on your location.
In this activation, as in the rest of the drills, those who receive the message are asked to read the text carefully and do not overload 112 with unnecessary calls.
Canary Islands: simulation in Tenerife as part of a volcanic exercise
This Friday, between the 9:00 and 13:00, the General Directorate of Emergencies will carry out in Tenerife new test shipments within a simulated eruption in Garachico, organized by the Cabildo. CECOES 112 will broadcast several messages that can be received immediately or when coverage is restored if the terminal was offline.
Notices will be directed to Garachico and El Tanque, with reach across the entire island, and could reach Icod de los Vinos, La Guancha, Los Silos, El Tanque, Buenavista del Norte and occasionally to San Juan de la Rambla and Los Realejos. Due to signal propagation, they could be received at points of Gran Canaria and La Gomera, and even on boats close to the coast. If the phone is off or in airplane mode, the notice will not enter.
During the exercise period, messages associated with start and end of evacuations and possible confinements of specific test areas. As with all other drills, the text will be marked as an exercise and should not be called 112 to confirm receipt.
It is recommended that if you are driving, stop the vehicle in a safe place before reading and accepting the notice. For older people in the environment, it is advisable to explain in advance what the system consists of. If the mobile phone is configured in another language, the message may also appear in English.
How ES-Alert works and settings on your phone
EN-Alert It uses antenna broadcasting to send pop-up messages to 4G and 5G phones within a given area, without the need to install apps or register. The system is anonymous and reserved for relevant emergencies (fires, floods, adverse phenomena, etc.), in order to quickly transfer self-protection instructions.
When the notification comes into the mobile, the terminal emits a powerful tone and a vibration that distinguish it from other notifications. Read the content and, when you're done, press "Accept" or the side button to mute it; do not contact 112 unless you need real help.
If for work reasons or sensitivity to sound you prefer not to receive the drill, you can turn on airplane mode or turn it off the device during the test window. Please note that Some models may reproduce the warning as well.After certain tests, an anonymous survey is offered to report reception, language, and operator.
Check your settings if you want to make sure you receive notifications and know the earthquake detection on Android: in Android (version 11 or higher), go to Settings > “Security & Emergencies” or “Notifications”, enter “Emergency Alerts (Wireless)” and enable the available categories. Also check that the location is active.
En iPhone (iOS 15.6 or higher), go to Settings > Notifications, scroll to the bottom and turn on “Civil Protection Pre-alerts” or “ES-Alert”. It is advisable to have the system updated and confirm that the location It is operational to receive relevant alerts according to the area.
These coordinated activations in Catalonia, the Basque Country and the Canary Islands aim to measure coverage, identify improvements and educate the population with the operation of the system. If you receive the notice on the dates indicated, remember: it's a test, a special beep will sound, read the message and press OKWith your participation in the surveys, the administration will be able to continue fine-tuning the service.
