FR-Alert
FR-Alert is a national emergency population warning system in France using cell broadcast technology. It is used by French authorities (prefects or mayors) to quickly alert and inform the public via mobile phones in case of an imminent or ongoing major emergency or disaster. The term red alert (vigilance rouge) indicates immediate danger to life or physical safety. The system is linked to both the French SAIP system and the European EU-Alert framework.
Within the danger zone, FR-Alert provides information on the nature of the crisis and the behavior to adopt to ensure safety.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-10 |title=FR-Alert: What is France’s Emergency Alert System |url=https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/healthcare/fr-alert-what-is-frances-emergency-alert-system/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=FrenchEntrée}}
It requires operational electrical grid and mobile telephony networks to function.
Description
This is a national system, based on the EU-wide EU-Alert standard defined in the European Electronic Communications Code, which sets harmonized specifications for public warning services.
Developed and deployed by Intersec, it has been operational since {{start date|2022|06|21}}.{{Cite web |title=FR-Alert : le nouveau dispositif d'alerte à la population française |url=https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A15732 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.service-public.fr |language=Fr}} It allows authorities to send indiscriminate alerts to mobile phone users. Messages are broadcast within specific zones using cell towers from mobile network operators. It complements the SAIP system.{{Cite web |title=Information and warning systems {{!}} Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole et ville de Montpellier |url=https://www.montpellier.fr/en/daily-life/living-here/emergencies-safety-and-prevention/I'm-prepared-for-an-emergency-situation/know-the-means-of-information-and-warning |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=www.montpellier.fr |language=en}}
The majority of mobile operating systems (such as Android and iOS) support cell broadcast by default and offer settings to manage alerts.
Gallery
IOS-16-Fr-Alert.jpg|iPhone settings for FR-Alert
FR-ALERT du 28 Février 2023 à 10-11.jpg|FR-Alert message on iPhone
Cell Broadcast Francais Samsung 8.jpg|Android settings for FR-Alert
FR-Alert test message on Android on February 2023.png|FR-Alert message on Android
Technology
Alerts are transmitted via radio waves using cell broadcast through 4G and 5G antennas, not via SMS, to avoid network saturation. Any user within a {{convert|5|km|mi}} radius receives the alert with a specific sound,{{Cite web |title=FR-ALERT, le dispositif d'alerte français : quels défis ? {{!}} Icsi |url=https://www.icsi-eu.org/es/node/497 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.icsi-eu.org}} even if the phone is in silent mode.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=Alerter et protéger : déploiement national du dispositif FR-Alert |url=https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/actualites/dossiers-de-presse/alerter-et-proteger-deploiement-national-du-dispositif-fr-alert-0 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=interieur.gouv.fr}} The broadcast can be supplemented with geolocated 2G or 3G SMS, though these may be delayed.
Activation
The decision to send an alert is made by the Prime Minister or prefects,{{Cite web |title=Alerter et protéger : déploiement national du dispositif FR-Alert |url=https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sites/minint/files/medias/documents/2022-10/18-10-2022-dp-fr-alert.pdf |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=interieur.gouv.fr}} although mayors may request activation in local emergencies.{{Cite web |title=Dispositif FR-Alert : les maires pourront demander le lancement d'une alerte en cas de catastrophe {{!}} Maire-Info, quotidien d'information destiné aux élus locaux |url=https://www.maire-info.com/securite-civile/dispositif-fr-alert-les-maires-pourront-demander-le-lancement-d'une-alerte-en-cas-de-catastrophe-article-26828 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.maire-info.com}}
Since June 2022, several tests have been conducted.{{Cite web |title=Les alertes |url=https://fr-alert.gouv.fr/les-alertes |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=fr-alert.gouv.fr}} These range from technical test messages to live crisis scenarios, including an alert on {{date|28 February 2023}} across metropolitan France.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-28 |title=Exercice de sécurité civile - Test FR-Alert - Jeudi 29 septembre 2022 après-midi - Les services de l'Etat dans le Calvados |url=https://www.calvados.gouv.fr/exercice-de-securite-civile-test-fr-alert-jeudi-29-a10533.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104074149/https://www.calvados.gouv.fr/exercice-de-securite-civile-test-fr-alert-jeudi-29-a10533.html |archive-date=2022-11-04 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=calvados.gouv.fr}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-18 |title=Incendies en Gironde : plus de 16.000 personnes évacuées ce lundi, la nuit s'annonce très compliquée - ici |url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/incendies-en-gironde-la-teste-landiras-guillos-13-000-hectares-brules-foret-pompiers-1658086733 |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=ici, le média de la vie locale |language=fr}}
FR-Alert was first triggered for a real event on 11 July 2023 in five eastern French departments (Franche-Comté and Haut-Rhin) for severe thunderstorm warnings. Ironically, the most affected areas were Côte-d'Or and Bas-Rhin, which were not under red alert.
On 13 May 2024, FR-Alert was controversially triggered by the Paris Police Prefecture to send an informational message related to the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite news |date=2024-05-13 |title=« Alerte extrêmement grave » : le dispositif FR-Alert activé pour envoyer un message d’information sur les JO 2024 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/05/13/alerte-extremement-grave-le-dispositif-fr-alert-active-pour-envoyer-un-message-d-information-sur-les-jo-2024_6233017_3242.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |language=fr}} Critics deemed the alert disproportionate as there was no actual emergency.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-13 |title="Alerte extrêmement grave": un message FR-Alert envoyé sur des téléphones pour les JO de Paris |url=https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/jeux-olympiques/securite/alerte-extremement-grave-un-message-fr-alert-envoye-sur-des-telephones-a-paris_AN-202405130849.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=RMC Sport Jeux Olympiques |language=fr}}
It was also tested in the La Rochelle urban area on 9–10 April 2025 as part of a storm crisis management drill, Exercise ÉOLE 2025.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-11 |title=Tempêtes : un exercice inédit - Actualités - Agglo La Rochelle |url=https://www.agglo-larochelle.fr/-/tempetes-un-exercice-inedit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317095501/https://www.agglo-larochelle.fr/-/tempetes-un-exercice-inedit |archive-date=2025-03-17 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=agglo-larochelle.fr}}{{Cite web |title=Exercice ÉOLE 2025 - Test du dispositif FR-Alert |url=https://www.charente-maritime.gouv.fr/Actualites/Espace-Presse/Dossiers-de-presse/Archives/DOSSIERS-DE-PRESSE-2024/Exercice-EOLE-2025-Test-du-dispositif-FR-Alert |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Les services de l'État en Charente-Maritime |language=fr}}
Research and development
In 2023–2024, under France's ecological transition program (France Nation Verte), discussions began to integrate FR-Alert into climate and biodiversity-related emergency planning.{{Cite web |title=Feuille de route Numérique et Données pour la Planification écologique |url=https://www.info.gouv.fr/upload/media/content/0001/07/11a344f3ac034df1bd2e22cc0c2bbb882da2a494.pdf |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=info.gouv.fr}}
There's growing awareness of mixed-risk scenarios — e.g., a technological disaster triggered by a natural hazard — such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster, caused by an earthquake and tsunami.{{Cite journal |last=Nagatani |first=Keiji |last2=Kiribayashi |first2=Seiga |last3=Okada |first3=Yoshito |last4=Otake |first4=Kazuki |last5=Yoshida |first5=Kazuya |last6=Tadokoro |first6=Satoshi |last7=Nishimura |first7=Takeshi |last8=Yoshida |first8=Tomoaki |last9=Koyanagi |first9=Eiji |last10=Fukushima |first10=Mineo |last11=Kawatsuma |first11=Shinji |date=2013 |title=Emergency response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants using mobile rescue robots |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rob.21439 |journal=Journal of Field Robotics |language=en |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=44–63 |doi=10.1002/rob.21439 |issn=1556-4967|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite book |last=Dab |first=William |title=Environnement et santé publique: fondements et pratiques |date=2023 |publisher=Presses de l'École des hautes études en santé publique |isbn=978-2-8109-1007-6 |edition=2e éd. [enrichie et mise à jour] |series=Références santé social |location=Rennes |pages=499-520}}{{Cite journal |last=Murata |first=Atsuo |last2=Karwowski |first2=Waldemar |date=2021-03-04 |title=On the Root Causes of the Fukushima Daiichi Disaster from the Perspective of High Complexity and Tight Coupling in Large-Scale Systems |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/13/3/414 |journal=Symmetry |language=en |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=414 |doi=10.3390/sym13030414 |issn=2073-8994 |doi-access=free}}
The World Health Organization (WHO) also stresses better preparedness for mental health risks.{{Cite web |title=Plan d’action global pour la santé mentale 2013-2030 |url=https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/361818/9789240056923-fre.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=iris.who.int}} Retrospective disaster studies show underestimated mental health effects, especially for children and pregnant women exposed to disasters.
References
External links
- {{Official website|https://fr-alert.gouv.fr/}}