A nationwide test of the emergency alert system and wireless emergency alert (WEA) system is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 2:18 p.m. At this time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission will test the “presidential alert” functionality, delivering messages to mobile devices across the country.
This test, which is not affiliated with the Rave system and Case Western Reserve University’s emergency notifications, will be a text-like message, similar to Amber Alerts you likely already receive on your phone. It will produce an attention signal and vibration to ensure that people of all abilities receive the notification. The message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Individuals cannot unsubscribe from presidential alerts.
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 first national WEA test to mobile devices.
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.
As always, individuals are encouraged to review and update their contact information in Rave to ensure they receive notifications related to on-campus emergencies as well. To do so, visit getrave.com.