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City to test emergency notification system on October 15

Annual test alert takes place during the Great BC ShakeOut

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed October 14, 2026 10:00 AM

Summary

At 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2026, participants across British Columbia will take part in the Great BC ShakeOut by practicing "Drop, Cover and Hold On" as part of earthquake preparedness. At the same time, the City of Nanaimo will start testing Voyent Alert!, the City's emergency notification system.

Registered Voyent Alert! users will receive a test notification by text message, phone call, email or app notification, depending on their selected preferences. The alert will state: "This is a TEST of the City of Nanaimo's emergency alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. If this had been an actual emergency or threat, you would now see or hear instructions that would assist you to protect you and your family. This is ONLY a TEST, NO ACTION IS REQUIRED."

Voyent Alert! allows the City to send notifications ranging from a single city block to the entire community. Residents can register multiple locations and, if they enable GPS-based notifications, receive alerts based on their current location. GPS information is only used to deliver alerts and is not stored by the system.

In the event of an emergency, notifications will provide essential information about the incident and any actions required, such as evacuating, sheltering in place, locking down or avoiding the area.

Residents who have already downloaded the Voyent Alert! app are encouraged to ensure notifications are enabled and that the app has not been offloaded or placed in sleep mode by their device. An instructional video is available in the online version of this release. For more information on using the app, visit Voyent Alert's community support page.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to sign up for Voyent Alert! free of charge. Visit www.nanaimo.ca/goto/alerts for more details and to download the Voyent Alert! app from GooglePlay or the Apple App Store.

Link to Strategic Plan: Encouraging our community to subscribe to our emergency alert notification system supports a safer and more livable community.

Key Points

  • The City of Nanaimo will start sending a test alert on Oct. 15 at 10:15 a.m. through its emergency notification system, Voyent Alert!
  • Residents can register for the service by downloading the Voyent Alert! app, visiting www.nanaimo.ca/goto/alerts or calling Public Works at 250-758-5222.
  • October is Emergency Preparedness Month in Nanaimo.

Quotes

"Emergencies can happen without warning, which is why preparedness matters. Participating in the Great BC ShakeOut and ensuring you receive alerts through Voyent Alert! are simple actions that can help protect you, your family and your neighbours when every second counts. Together, we can be ready for whatever comes our way."

Evan Lloyd
Emergency Program Manager
City of Nanaimo

Quick Facts

  • When using the Voyent Alert! app, please click 'allow' when asked about push notifications if you would like the messages to appear on your phone when the app is not otherwise open on your screen.
  • Want to be notified in more than one way? Simply register each method — phone call, sms text, email or push notification through the app. The Voyent Alert! app is available on both the Apple App Store and GooglePlay.
  • In the future, the City may occasionally push out non-emergency notifications to app, email and sms text subscribers with notifications such as weather advisories, street cleaning or more. These notifications are optional during the registration process and will look different than an emergency or critical incident notification.
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Contact:

For media enquiries, please contact
Communications
City of Nanaimo
250-754-4251

Print News Release

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