Early morning Civil Defence mobile alerts anger sleep-interrupted Kiwis | Stuff.co.nz

DILEEPA FONSEKA

Last updated 07:57, October 4 2017

The Civil Defence emergency alert that woke many New Zealanders between 1.30am and 2am on Wednesday morning.

Angry New Zealanders were jolted awake in the early hours of Wednesday morning after what was meant to be a test of an emergency alert system instead went live.

Three emergency alerts from the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) were sent out to people's mobile phones about 1.32am, 1.33am and around 1.49am, accompanied by a loud ring tone and vibrating.

The message read: "Emergency Alert ... This is a test message for the Emergency Mobile Alert system that will be available by the end of 2017. Visit civildefence.govt.nz to find out more. Sent by the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management"

The alerts came through when the provider of the service, based in Europe, trialled it during European daytime hours. They had been meant to be restricted to a test environment, however went to Vodafone customers all around New Zealand.

Disgruntled Kiwis, potentially woken from some quality REM sleep, vented while trying to get their heart rates back down to normal.

MCDEM confirmed that the alert was issued in error and has apologised on its Facebook page.

Sarah Stuart-Black, Director of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency management says the disruption many New Zealanders experienced from the early morning testing of an early warning alert system was "completely unacceptable" and she took full responsibility for the error. 

"It's so loud and such a different sound.

"It would've given some people a full-on fright."

Customers in Auckland received three alerts and those in other parts of the country received two, but Stuart-Black stressed the fault was not Vodafone's.

The "life-changing alert" system was set to launch later this year and would be automatically installed and enabled on new phones. 

Older phones might receive the ability to automatically receive alerts through a system upgrade. 

The notification system would have ability to provide localised alerts for things like tsunami warnings.

Test messages would be issued once the system was launched but such messages would be issued with adequate warning and at a convenient hour, Stuart-Black said.

 - Stuff