Florida apologises for sending pre-dawn emergency alert test

Florida officials person apologised for giving residents successful the sunshine authorities an "unexpected" and "frustrating" pre-dawn wakeup.

Many residents were jolted awake by an blaring exigency alert connected their phones astatine 04:45 section clip (08:45 GMT).

But determination was nary existent exigency connected Thursday - a authorities bureau made a mistake portion investigating its alert system.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management aboriginal admitted that a "04:45 aftermath up telephone isn't ideal".

The bureau said each period it tests the alerts connected a assortment of platforms and "this alert was expected to beryllium connected TV, and not disturb anyone already sleeping".

On Twitter, it vowed that it was "taking the due enactment to guarantee this volition ne'er hap again and that lone existent emergencies are sent arsenic alerts successful the mediate of the night".

The connection to residents read: "TEST - This is simply a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No enactment is required."

According to St Lucie County, the alert was sent to each wireless subscriber successful the authorities of Florida.

In a connection connected Twitter, Governor Ron DeSantis called the aboriginal trial alert " a wholly inappropriate usage of this system".

"I've ordered FL Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to bring swift accountability for the trial of the exigency alert strategy successful the wee hours of the morning," helium said.

Angry Floridians took to societal media to kick astir being woken up earlier dawn, with 1 penning connected Twitter: "I request to combat whoever decided to trial Florida's exigency alert system."

With radical sharing tips connected however to crook the notifications disconnected connected their phones, the exigency absorption bureau urged residents to support the relation connected for nationalist information .

"We privation to accent that portion this wake-up telephone was unwarranted, disasters tin hap astatine immoderate clip and having a mode to person exigency alerts tin prevention lives," Alecia Collins, the bureau spokesperson, said.

The UK is besides preparing for the archetypal nationwide trial of its exigency alert system, though that trial is scheduled for the midafternoon connected Sunday.