The mobile phones of more than five million people in the Barcelona area rang loudly on Monday at 10am as Catalan authorities tested Spain’s ES-Alert SMS system.
Although drills have been carried out on other occasions, this was the largest one conducted by Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency so far.
The SMS drill was sent out in districts that make up Barcelona’s Metropolitan Area: Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Maresme, Vallès Occidental, and Vallès Oriental.
Both residents and tourists in that area were alerted by the loud alarm on their phones, including those driving through the province in vehicles or on local trains.
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The accompanying written SMS message, which was written in Catalan, Spanish and English, read: “ALERT test. Sent by the CIVIL PROTECTION, GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA. In an emergency, you will receive self-protection instructions.”
In statements following the drill, Catalan Minister of the Interior and Public Security Núria Parlon gave a “positive” assessment of the test, which according to initial reports reached 95 percent of the people that were meant to receive the alert.
Spain first launched the ES-Alert system in 2023. It enables national or regional authorities to warn or forewarn people of any catastrophes or other potentially dangerous incidents that occur near the area where they are.
This could include anything from natural disasters such as wildfires or floods, to terror attacks.
If people are on the local phone network, even if they have overseas sim cards, they will receive the strident alarm and written message.
READ MORE: How Spain will warn you via SMS of nearby dangers
According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, it allows for a “much faster and more effective” response to particularly serious situations that may have a direct impact on the population.
So far, 135 emergency alerts have been sent to people’s mobile phones since the system launched, of which around 40 were drills.
Much of the criticism Valencian authorities received following 2024’s deadly floods was to do with the fact that ES-Alert SMS was sent far too late, hours after people had started drowning.
