FEMA will buzz your cell phone today around 2:20 p.m. Eastern.
WASHINGTON – The federal government is going to buzz your cell phone today ( Wednesday, Oct. 4) with an urgent message.
Don’t be alarmed. It’s a test. It’s only a test.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will be broadcasting alerts and sending text messages to test a pair of emergency alert systems. As part of those tests, special alerts will be sent to every cell phone in the nation.
The messaging should start about 2:20 p.m. Eastern, FEMA said. The nationwide tests will check the readiness of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Your cell phone should get messages as part of the test for Wireless Emergency Alerts.
That system allows authorized federal, state and local authorities to send short text messages to alert the public to important events and enhance public safety. The messages can be sent to your mobile device without the need to download an app or subscribe to a service.
The WEA system is a partnership among FEMA, the FCC and wireless providers.
All wireless phones should receive the message only once. For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
The Emergency Alert System serves a similar purpose. It is a national public warning system that requires radio and TV broadcasters, cable TV, wireless cable systems, satellite and wireline operators to be prepared for the president to address the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency. It is maintained at the federal level by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.
The message to accompany the test will say, “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
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