Various regions of Spain have been affected by torrential rains and heavy flooding caused by a DANA (Isolated High Level Depression) of enormous force. Given the risk that bad weather represents for citizens, federal and local authorities have sent multiple warnings through the emergency alert system. At WIRED en Español we tell you how this service works and how to check if it is active on your mobile.
The Spanish Government, through an agreement between the Ministries of the Interior and of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, implemented the platform known as ES-Alert in 2022. This is an adaptation of the EU-Alert protocol for disseminating emergency notices. It is supported by technology Cell Broadcast System (CBS) which is capable of sending simultaneous SMS messages of up to 93 characters to all cell phones located in a georeferenced area. It works regardless of the telephone provider of each device and does not require an internet connection or mobile data.
ES-Alert uses existing telecommunications infrastructure to disseminate alerts. It operates with 4G and 5G network technologies that cover more than 90% of mobile telephone service coverage in the Spanish market, according to the General Directorate of Protection and Emergencies. The agency ensures that the privacy of citizens is guaranteed, since Telephone numbers are not used to send the content.
“ES-Alert is available to the emergency coordination centers of the autonomous communities within the framework of the National Civil Protection System. These organizations, together with the National Emergency Monitoring and Coordination Center of the Ministry of the Interior, are responsible within their area of competence for defining and issuing alerts when the situation warrants it,” the agency says.
On which devices do emergency alerts work in Spain?
The warning mechanism is enabled by default on all mobile phones that have been sold in Spain starting in 2022. Despite this, the Civil Protection authorities warn that there are some exceptions depending on the different operating systems:
- Devices with Android 8 or lower do not receive alerts.
- Devices running Android 9 or 10 can receive the prompts, but are not configured to properly display the headers. For example, they show the text “Presidential Alert” instead of “Civil Protection Alert.”
- Mobile phones with Android 11 or higher receive notifications without any problem.
- Terminals with iOS 15.6 onwards support and broadcast alarms correctly.
What types of messages do users receive?
ES-Alert issues a single category of notices: Civil Protection Alert. This corresponds to the maximum risk level established in the EU-Alert that is pre-activated in the smartphones and cannot be disabled.
The message includes information about the risk of the situation, its observed or foreseeable consequences, and the actions to be taken by people who could be affected. “The statement will be displayed on the mobile phone in a similar way to a text message. It will be accompanied by a beep and vibration that will occur even if the phone is muted, locked or in ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode. It will remain on the screen until the “Accept” button is pressed on Android devices or the home button on iOS,” explains the Civil Protection Directorate.
Notifications are issued in Spanish and in the co-official language of the affected autonomous community. Emergency centers may include special messages for devices configured in languages other than Spanish.
Mobile communication experts indicate that it is advisable to verify the correct configuration of emergency notifications, even though they are activated by default. To do this, it is necessary to perform the following actions:
Android
- Access the “Settings” or “Settings” application on your mobile.
- Select the “Notifications” option.
- Look in the drop-down menu for the “Wireless Emergency Alerts” section to check that the alternative is activated.
iOS
- Access the “Settings” section of the device.
- Click on the “Notifications” section.
- You must slide down to find the “ES-Alert” option. From there it is possible to verify if the resource is enabled.
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