A nationwide test of the emergency alert system and wireless emergency alert (WEA) system is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 2:20 p.m ET.
At this time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission will test Wireless Emergency Alerts, sending them to consumer cell phones that have opted in to receive such messages. The message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Additionally, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be tested, with alerts being sent via radio and television.
This test is not affiliated with Case Western Reserve University’s emergency notifications.
The test is planned to assess the operational readiness of the system’s infrastructure in the event of a national emergency or disaster. It is the third national WEA test and the seventh nationwide EAS test.
The WEA system was established in 2012 under the WARN Act to allow local, state and federal government authorities to send out a message to all enabled mobile devices in a geographically targeted area. There are three types of WEA alerts that you may receive:
- Amber Alerts
- Imminent threats to public safety (i.e. tornadoes, evacuation, shelter in place)
- Presidential Alerts
For questions on the national test, contact FEMA-National-Test@fema.dhs.gov.