If you're living in Essex and you receive an alert, don't be alarmed, it's just a test of the emergency notification system.
The town will be testing its alert system Friday as part of Emergency Preparedness Week. Communications Manager Alex Denonville says the test is for both residents and the town.
"For us as staff to get used to the system and get some experience with it, but also just to remind residents that it's there and it's what they can expect if there was an emergency," he says. "It will show what notifications will look like, how they will receive them and that kind of thing."
He says it will also serve as reminder for residents to update their information.
"People move. They might get a new phone number," he says. "It's like any other system you would sign up for where you can log in and change all of your settings."
Resident who didn't sign up for the notification system may still receive a call, according to Denonville.
"When we set up the system we pulled all of the publicly listed home phone numbers, so those will also be receiving phone calls," he added.
Denonville says the test will be sent out around 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Residents can sign up for the town's Emergency Notification System at www.essex.ca/alerts.