Brazil will have an emergency alert system in 2024

The federal government’s project to implement an emergency alert system using cell phones could enter the testing phase by the first half of 2024. The concept is based on the use of technology cell broadcastwhich allows alert messages to be sent to an entire region without the need for telephone numbers to be known in advance.

It is expected that, initially, at least ten cities will benefit from this extremely useful tool. The great functionality of this system is that it is designed to make smartphones emit a loud siren sound, even if they are configured in modes such as silent or “do not disturb”, which is crucial in moments where every second is important to your health. ensure the safety of people in situations of imminent danger.

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Cell broadcast works even if the cell phone is in “Do Not Disturb” mode

During an event held in Rio de Janeiro, Armin Augusto Braun, director of the National Center for Risk and Disaster Management (Cenad), spoke about recent developments linked to this initiative. He clarified that the expansion and future success of this program intrinsically depend on the current structure and preparation of state and municipal civil defenses, according to detailed information published by the newspaper Economic value.

Braun also highlighted an important point regarding the practicality of this new system: There is no need for citizens to register in advance to start receiving these emergency alerts on your cell phones. This advantage stands out compared to current methods such as the civil defense alert SMS, which requires users to register to receive it and which is omitted if the cell phone is in “Do not disturb” mode.

The cell broadcast system in Brazil is being developed based on effective emergency alert systems, such as those in the USA and Japan. Before reaching this stage, the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) together with operators conducted a series of tests over a period of 14 months.

After this intensive phase of testing and evaluation, the system was finally handed over to the Ministry of Integration and Civil Defense in December 2023. However, since this handover, the project’s progress appears to have stagnated, with no significant progress reported.

Floods in RS accelerated the project

The need and interest in such technologies were amplified due to devastating natural incidents, such as the catastrophic floods that occurred in Rio Grande do Sul. At that critical moment, cell broadcast could have been a decisive tool to alert citizens, but unfortunately , was not yet available.

Despite announcing on Thursday, May 16th, the intention to move forward with the implementation of the new alert system via cell broadcast, the head of Cenad did not specify which would be the first cities to be equipped with this technology.

This data is long awaited and many are looking forward to it, especially people in areas that suffer from climate and environmental problems. Choosing these places will be an important milestone to see how well the alert system works before perhaps expanding to other parts of the country.