Please note: public warning system tests
The FR-Alert system sends real-time alerts – via a text message – to anyone with a mobile phone, informing them that they are in a danger zone and advising them on how to protect themselves. A live test will be carried out this Thursday, 19 March.
Following a ‘silent’ technical test carried out last Thursday with mobile network operators, the government will, as part of the ‘Caribe Wave’ exercise, send out an FR-Alert message this Thursday, 19 March, in the early afternoon to parts of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. Due to signal propagation, smartphone users may receive this message even if they are outside the specific target area. No action is required; this is merely a test designed to assess the effectiveness and proper functioning of public alert systems under real-world conditions.
The same operation will be carried out on the Dutch side on Tuesday 7 April. The authorities in Sint Maarten will carry out their own ‘Cell Broadcast’ test to check their local alert system. Due to the proximity of mobile networks, users in the French part may also receive this notification. Again, if you receive a message marked ‘Exercise’ or ‘Test’, do not panic; no action is required on your part and, above all, do not overload the emergency lines. In the event of a real alert, these messages will not appear, and instructions will be issued directly by the authorities.
