Federal officials are alerting Americans of a coming test of the Emergency Alert System that is scheduled for this fall and will likely reach most Americans.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will partner with the Federal Communications Commission for a comprehensive nationwide test of the EAS in the coming weeks.
FEMA announced that a test of the system is scheduled for Oct. 4 and will access devices across the country, including TVs, radios and mobile phones.
“The national test will consist of two portions, testing [Wireless Emergency Alerts] and EAS capabilities,” FEMA said in a news release.
The agency added, “Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.”
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FEMA said the test is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of its communication systems in the event of a national or local emergency.
The agency also said it is working with private companies in order to ensure as few people as possible are caught off guard when the test alerts go out.
“FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test,” the agency said in its release.
FEMA further explained the rationale behind the tests and also offered an alternate date, should the Oct. 4 exercise be disrupted.
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“The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” FEMA said in its release.
The release added, “In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.”
Mobile phone towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes on Oct. 4 and will affect every phone “within range of an active cell tower,” FEMA said.
The WEA portion of the test, which will be sent to all phones nationwide, is the second such test of the system.
Messages will be sent out either in English or in Spanish, depending on the individual language settings of the phones.
For people whose phones are set to English, the message will read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Americans whose phones are set to Spanish will receive a message that reads, “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
Each person who receives the test message on their phone can expect it to last about one minute.
As with previous tests, the messages will be accompanied by a “unique tone and vibration,” FEMA said.
The EAS portion of the test directed at radios and TVs is the seventh such nationwide test of the system.
According to Ready.gov, the EAS first went online in 1997 and was designed to allow the president to speak to the American people in the event of national emergency.
