FR-Alert: What is France’s Emergency Alert System

Launched in 2022, FR-Alert is a nationwide alert system that allows people to be notified on their mobile phones of any imminent or pending danger in their location. The messages are sent as texts and are typically accompanied by a short, shrill alert that sounds even if your phone is in silent or do not disturb mode.

This system has been designed to not require people to subscribe, register or to have to download any application system, so you shouldn’t have to set anything up. It also works across all mobile phones and networks.

If you find yourself in a danger zone, no matter what brand of mobile phone you have or even if it is on silent mode, you will hear a specific tone and receive a message alerting you to the danger. Depending on your mobile provider and your brand of phone, there may be slight differences in the time frame that an alert is received – the SMS messages are sent by 4G or 5G in order that the population can be alerted within seconds, but with a huge number sent at the same time, there are occasionally minor delays.

Messages can be sent in all languages in view of the fact there may be tourists or, indeed, English speakers, present in the area, and they are not limited to French phones or French residents.

FR-ALERT is used to inform people of the nature and the location of a danger or imminent threat to life. It is there to offer advice as to how to act and what to do to keep safe or to reduce, as much as possible, the potential effects of such an event.

Notifications would typically inform you of:

• The nature of the risk (E.g. fire, flood, industrial accident, etc)
• The authority from whom the alert was received
• The exact locality of the danger (in so far as possible). For example, the establishment, building, district, area, commune, tower block, etc.
• The right actions to adopt. (E.g. stay indoors, evacuate the area etc.)
• If appropriate, a link may included, providing further up-to-date information.

No, it’s important to understand that this system is put in place purely to distribute essential safety information to the general public. The government doesn’t have access to your phone data or geolocation.

Find out more about the system here.