Canadians will be hearing an alarm on Wednesday as the National Public Alerting System is set to be tested.

Residents will receive the alert message from their respective provincial or territorial emergency management organization over television, radio, and compatible wireless devices.

The testing sound will simulate an emergency alert, beginning with the alert tone, known as the Canadian Alert Attention Signal.

The message will indicate that it is a test and does not require action from the public.

In Ontario, residents can expect to hear the alarm at 12:55 p.m.

Tests are conducted twice a year, during Emergency Preparedness Week in May and the third week of November.