Expect a message on your phone today at 1:55 p.m.

Manitobans will receive an Alert Ready public awareness test message this afternoon. The emergency alert will begin with a distinct sound and vibration followed by a message outlining the nature of the alert.

Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler, the minister responsible for emergency measures, explains the move is an expansion of the warning system that includes radio, TV and web feeds. He notes the Province and Environment and Climate Change Canada are the only agencies authorized to issue emergency messages using Alert Ready.

The Alert Ready systems notify Canadians of potentially life-threatening events. Individuals with compatible wireless devices connected to an LTE network will be able to receive emergency alerts if they are in the geographic broadcast area. To receive the emergency alert your wireless device must also be connected to an LTE network at the time the emergency alert is issued.

People in remote communities whose phones do not meet those requirements will not receive wireless emergency alerts.

However, similar public awareness tests ran into a number of glitches on Monday in Ontario and Quebec.

A coding error prevented the Alert Ready system from sending the Quebec test message. Alert Ready partners are still working to identify the issue in the Ontario test.

Related article: Emergency Coordinator Hopes Alert Ready Test Leads To Discussion On Being Prepared