The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts on Oct. 3.
The WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT and the EAS portion will follow at 2:20 p.m. EDT that day.
FEMA said the test will access the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.
WEA’s first national test will be sent to cellphones that are connected to wireless providers participating in WEA.
This is the fourth EAS nationwide test.
The EAS is a national public warning system that provides the president with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency.
The test is made available to EAS participants (i.e., radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers) and is scheduled to last approximately one minute.
The test message will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar.
The EAS message will include a reference to the WEA test:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”
Cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT.
During that time, WEA compatible cellphones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message.
Some cellphones will not receive the test message, capable cellphones should only receive the message once.
The WEA test message will have a header that reads “Presidential Alert” and text that says:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cellphones.
The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of the WEA test.
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