The most destructive episode of torrential rains so far this century is still active. After causing a great catastrophe in the Valencian Community, where there were 210 deaths and incalculable material damage, it continues to hit the Mediterranean coast. The Civil Protection authorities continue to send alerts for this reason to the population, the last one this morning for all devices of the residents of Baix Llobregat, a region of more than 800,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan region of Barcelona.
The Civil Protection alert system is called ES-Alert and uses a technology based on sending messages by radio signal, which reach all mobile phones that are within reach of the telephone antennas that emit them. This has several advantages for sending alerts with respect to SMS technology, such as the fact that reception is immediate and is not affected by a possible saturation of telephone networks derived from the emergency.
It is also not necessary to know the recipient’s phone number: if the mobile device is within range of the antenna, it will receive the message. In this way the authorities can warn all people within a specific area of the danger.
To receive notifications from the ES-Alert system, it is necessary to have this option activated in the phone settings. Most users have the configuration activated by default, but in recent hours many users have warned on social networks that this was not the case in the case of their devices. The method to do this varies depending on the device manufacturer.
Activate ES-Alert on Android phones
To activate the Civil Protection alert system on Android phones it is necessary to enter ‘Settings’. Once there, you need to search for ‘Security and emergencies’ and once in that menu; ‘Wireless emergency alerts’. You must press the ‘Allow alerts’ button.
Settings > Security & emergencies > Wireless emergency alerts > Allow alerts
Activate the ES-Alert system on Android
In the case of Android phones, the route could vary slightly depending on the manufacturer, or include the possibility of activating more alert options.
Activate ES-Alert on iPhone phones
To activate the Civil Protection alert system on iPhone phones, it is necessary to enter ‘Settings’. Once there, you have to go to ‘Notifications’ and once in that menu; Go all the way down until you find the ‘ES-ALERT’ section and the ‘Civil Protection Pre-Alerts’ button, which must be activated.
Settings > Security & emergencies > Wireless emergency alerts > Allow alerts
Activate the ES-Alert system on Android
Many users who had updated their phone to the latest version of iOS (18 or higher) are reporting that the button is now disabled, despite having received alerts in the past.
A loud beep
The ES-Alert system notification is characterized by emitting a loud and constant alarm beep, different from that used by the rest of the applications or functions of the phones, as well as a more persistent vibration. Upon receiving the alert, the Civil Protection message will appear directly on the device screen.
The ES-Alert system was developed at the initiative of the Government after the natural disasters of the Filomenta storm and the eruption of the La Palma volcano, adapting the emergency warning models present in other countries. It began its testing phase in November 2022. “A beep will sound on some mobile phones, announcing that this is a test message from the civil protection alert system through mobile telephone networks and indicating that there is no need to do nothing special. It is a test to ensure that it works properly,” Civil Protection explained then.
The messages are sent by the emergency response centers of the autonomous communities, coordinated by the National Emergency Monitoring and Coordination Center of the Ministry of the Interior.
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