"Extreme alert" or "Extremely serious alert" are the types of messages that many French people have received or will soon receive on their cell phones. If you are affected, be aware that this is most likely not an attempted scam, but rather an official communication from the FR-Alert system. This system, crucial for our security, is subject to regular tests across the country, and this is undoubtedly what explains this impromptu ringing.
Don't panic, but stay tuned for this message
Recently, residents of Oise, on May 13, then those in the Barcarès area in the Pyrénées-Orientales on Saturday, May 17, saw their phones ring in unison. And this continued on Monday, May 19, with eight municipalities in Val-d'Oise affected by a similar exercise in the middle of the day. Just on Thursday, May 22, two alerts sounded near Haumont (Fire – Forest fire) and near the Verdun state forest (Fire – Forest fire).
These priority notifications, as the Oise prefecture explains, "arrive at the same time on all mobile phones, appear on the phone screen, even if it is locked". A shrill beep and a vibration often accompany the message to emphasize its critical nature. Only devices that are turned off or in airplane mode are exempt from this broadcast.
What is FR-Alert for?
FR-Alert appeared in mainland France and overseas in June 2022. Since then, the system's mission has been to warn in real time anyone in an area where danger is occurring or is about to occur. It covers a wide range of threats, from natural disasters (floods, storms, fires, etc.) to industrial incidents (gas leaks, pollution, nuclear accidents), health risks (epidemics, food contamination, etc.), serious accidents on transport networks, and serious threats to public safety, such as terrorist acts.
The message issued in the event of an alert specifies the nature of the current or imminent danger and the geographical area concerned. Above all, it displays the safety instructions to adopt to protect yourself against this danger. In the case of exercises, such as the one simulating a rescue operation following an event that caused "numerous casualties" (Operation Novi) in the Barcarès sector, the authorities insist: "No particular action is expected from you, this is just an exercise.".
These full-scale tests are proving essential, like the alert sirens that sound every first Wednesday of the month. They allow the authorities to ensure the proper functioning and effectiveness of the system.
How does FR-Alert work?
The authorities use dual technology to alert as many people as possible in the shortest possible time. FR-Alert is based on:
- Cell Broadcast: This is the express method. Via relay antennas, a notification appears on your screen in a few seconds, often accompanied by a percussive sound to attract your attention. It uses a dedicated radio channel for almost instantaneous transmission to all phones within range.
- Geolocated SMS: More targeted, these SMS are sent to phones identified in a specific geographical area thanks to relay antennas and operators' SMS centers.
When issuing an alert, authorities decide whether to use one, the other, or both technologies in tandem. The goal is to ensure that every connected phone in the danger zone receives the information.
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