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Emergency Management Coordinator-General Brendan Moon has announced a new alert system designed to better prepare the public for emergencies. “It will alert people to the type of hazard that they are facing, its severity, whereabouts, and importantly what action to take,” he explained.
This innovative system will feature two types of notifications: a critical alert, accompanied by a loud siren that will sound from the phone, and a follow-up message providing priority information.
Set to replace the existing state-based SMS emergency alerts, this $132 million initiative will undergo a nationwide test on July 27 at 2 p.m., reaching phones across the country. The full launch of the system is expected to occur in October.
Emergency Management Minister Kirsty McBain highlighted the distinctions of the new system, stating, “AusAlert messages will appear differently from our current text-based message systems.”
“AusAlert messages will appear differently to our current text-based message systems,” Emergency Management Minister Kirsty McBain said.
”They will appear on locked screens of mobile devices and exist outside of the standard text messaging app.”
The system will prioritise natural disasters, however, notifications can also be sent to alert people nearby to other life-threatening situations, such as serious public safety incidents or terrorism.
The government says the system will be more reliable, accurate and efficient than the current SMS alerts. 
All phones made in 2019 onwards will be compatible with the system, with testing on older phones ongoing.
Localised tests are set to begin from June 10 in some areas before the nationwide launch in October.
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