Prepare for a nationwide test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System, scheduled for October 4, to assess and ensure its readiness for real crisis situations. Coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), this test will involve sending notifications to cell phones, radios, and televisions to evaluate the effectiveness of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System and the public’s familiarity with it.
The cellphone component of the test aims to evaluate Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) across the nation. If you reside near a major metropolitan area, you may have previously received AMBER alerts through this system. Additionally, it can broadcast alerts for imminent threats, public safety notices, and presidential notifications during a national emergency. FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), an internet-based system, will be utilized for the WEA portion of the test, allowing emergency notifications to be disseminated through various communication networks.
If your cellphone is set to English as the primary language, you will receive a message around 2:20 PM ET, reading, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” For those with phones set to Spanish as their primary language, the message will read, “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.” These messages will be accompanied by a distinctive tone and vibration, which has been described as a jarring and attention-grabbing alarm that prompts immediate attention.
The television and radio portion of the test will occur simultaneously using the Emergency Alert System (EAS). This will mark the seventh nationwide EAS test.
The cell phone segment of the test is expected to last approximately 30 minutes, but individuals should be able to dismiss the notification and silence their phones as soon as they receive and hear it. In the unlikely event of an actual emergency on October 4, the test will be rescheduled to the backup date of October 11.
