Signalling danger, the Hull alerts making the nation safer

But the warnings have already saved lives. Plymouth residents got the alert when someone dug up a bomb in a back garden. Whole swathes of the South West, Wales, Ireland and Scotland were warned when brutal storms rolled in.

Real danger, real stakes, real lives. And developed with researchers at the University of Hull.

Six years ago, Dr Kate Smith, lecturer in flood risk management, and Dr Rob Thomas, lecturer in geomorphology and flood risk, designed and delivered the first public trials of what is now the government’s Emergency Alert system.

Working with the Environment Agency and ninety volunteers, phones buzzing across campus, the academics measured responses, gathered data and produced results that would change government policy and responses in times of emergency. Their recommendations informed the government’s decision to adopt the cell broadcast system.

Now, every couple of years, millions of mobile phones are shaken with the warning system which they sparked - a system that keeps millions safe. Dr Smith said: “Cell broadcast is an effective way of reaching people. It’s a bit like a lighthouse beaming out a signal from a mobile tower. Phones within range make contact with the tower rather than messages going to individual numbers. It’s much safer and more robust than systems used earlier.

"People respond to that siren-like tone. When we gauged responses following our first test in 2019, people told us that they would take action when they heard it, to protect themselves and to reach out to friends, family and neighbours.”

Testing the system isn’t just about ensuring that the technology works.

“It’s important that the government continues to test the Emergency Alert system. There is a growing need to adapt to an increasingly severe range of environmental threats.

“With wildfires burning like those across the Noth Yorkshire moors there may be a need to alert hundreds or thousands of people. Or the threat may be very geographically specific. Having the right technology in place is crucial but it’s vital too that the public become competent users of the alerts, knowing what to do and how to respond to genuine alerts.”

With a focus on flooding, Dr Smith is well aware of the impacts of warnings on those with first-hand experience, of the anxiety the alerts can cause, particularly for people who are vulnerable or disabled and may need help to move to safety. Or those who experience domestic abuse and may need to conceal a phone in their home. Alerts can be switched off, Dr Smith says, and third sector organisations are working to reduce their risk of harm.

Dr Smith’s response to Emergency Alerts?

“I feel immensely proud of the work that we did. My background is anthropology, Rob is a geomorphologist. I never imagined I would work on research that might save people’s lives. I’m proud to work in a university that enables us to work beyond our subject boundaries and make a difference.”