Many people in Florida received a rude awakening early Thursday morning. Mobile phones received an emergency alert at 4:45 am RT, rousing Floridians from sleep.

The unscheduled call was a loud buzz coming from phones with the text “EMERGENCY ALERT: TEST – This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No action is required.”

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Around four hours after the alert went out, Emergency management officials said it was sent out by mistake.

“We know a 4:45 AM wake-up call isn’t ideal (smiling face emoji with sweat). @FLSERT wants to apologize for the early morning text. Each month, we test #emergencyalerts on a variety of platforms. This alert was supposed to be on TV, and not disturb anyone already sleeping,” the statement read.

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Officials said they are taking the appropriate action to avoid such mistakes in future and that only actual emergencies are sent as alerts in the middle of the night.

Apart from several complaints, the alert produced a lot of memes on social media, some depicted alarmed people being awoken from their slumber while others depicted angry people.

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According to the official statement, there will be large-scale exercises prompting major, multi-patient medical emergencies on Thursday.

Florida may witness increased ambulance traffic around the hospitals. However, this exercise will not impact patient care or normal hospital activity.

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Alerts are sent to keep people informed in emergency situations, such as a hurricane, tornado, or event involving hazardous materials. In addition, they are issued for Amber Alerts for abducted children, dangerous weather and Public safety warnings.

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According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Division of Emergency managers and local emergency planners have the authority to issue alerts.