Emergency phone warning received by 60 per cent of phones - up from 34 per cent in last test

Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi has released the latest results of the mobile civil defence emergency alert test that took place last November. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A test for receiving a civil defence emergency alert was picked up by 60 per cent of New Zealanders - almost twice as much coverage as the previous test.

It was carried out on November 25 last year, and this morning Civil Defence Minister Kris Faafoi released the results of the test.

He said 60 per cent of cellphones - or about 3.6 million phones - received the warning, up from 34 per cent from the test in November 2017.

"We know from international experience that once you hit about 70 per cent penetration, a critical mass is achieved in which you generate word of mouth that quickly spreads to just about everyone," Faafoi said.

Sixty-nine per cent of people either received last year's alert or were near someone who received it, he said.

"We expected it to take about three years to reach that figure, so I am pleased we're on track to exceed that because it is another step to keeping people safe.

"Emergency mobile alerts can now be received by most mobile phones sold in New Zealand, including models costing as little as $29. This means more Kiwis can be warned via their phone about potentially life-threatening emergencies."

The alerts are sent when there is a serious threat to life, health or property.

They are sent by authorised agencies - including police, fire and emergency, the Ministry of Health, and civil defence - to all capable mobile phones, and you cannot opt out from receiving them.

They will be used in events such as tsunamis, wildfires, armed offenders at large, or seriously contaminated drinking water.

The alerts are only received by capable phones, and are not meant to replace other emergency alerts.

Faafoi said that other vital emergency information channels – such as radio, TV, online and social media – meant New Zealand had robust arrangements for informing people about emergencies.

"The more people who can receive warnings, whether through more traditional means or these alerts, the safer we all are."

The Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management is working with manufacturers and vendors to address some of the issues of how different handsets behave.

"We're really grateful to 2degrees, Spark and Vodafone, who partnered with the Government to deliver the project. Without them throwing their weight behind this system, we wouldn't be seeing such strong pickup," Faafoi said.

Be Prepared
If you feel your life may be in danger, don't wait for an official warning. Take immediate action. For example, in local source tsunami, there may not be time to send an alert before the first waves strike. Recognise the natural warnings and get safe – 'Long or Strong, Get Gone'.