The new national warning system, ‘AusAlert’, will be tested in Tennant Creek on Thursday, June 18, that will see residents’ mobile phones “vibrate and play a siren-like warning” for 10 seconds around 10am, the government said.

Messages sent as part of the new system will be clearly marked as a test and the Federal Government said residents will not need to do anything after receiving the message.

The AusAlert system is designed to warn the public about local emergencies such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, tsunamis, “security threats”, as well as public health emergencies and biosecurity incidents by using technology that sends emergency alert messages directly to 4G and 5G enabled mobile devices within a specified area without relying on traditional SMS.

The alert messages will be tested near the Tennant Creek Hospital at 10am Thursday, as part of national testing in different locations across the country before a national test takes place on July 27 at 1:30pm local time.

During the test, residents’ devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for roughly 10 seconds, with an AusAlert message appearing on screens, which will clearly state it is a test, the government said.

Everyone in the test area with compatible devices will receive an alert unless their phone is off or in aeroplane mode, the phone has not been upgraded to the latest software or the phone is in an area where there is no mobile coverage.

“AusAlert will transform the way we warn communities, delivering fast, targeted alerts at a local, regional or national level,” Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said in a statement.

“Testing the system in communities like Tennant Creek helps us iron out any issues and ensures people know what to expect when AusAlert goes live.”

The Federal Government will introduce the AusAlert emergency warning system nation-wide in October. More information is available on the AusAlert website.