 Emergency Alert System Test on October
3rd
Westminster, MD, Monday, October 1, 2018
– The Carroll County Department of
Public Safety advises the public of two test emergency alerts taking place on
October 3, 2018. Messages will be sent via television, radio, and text message and will have the heading
“Presidential Alert.”
The
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) will be conducting a first-ever nationwide test of the
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) on Wednesday, October 3,
2018. IPAWS encompasses the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency
Alert System (WEA), which provides authenticated emergency alerts and information
from emergency officials to warn the public of natural disasters, acts of
terrorism, and other man-made disasters or threats to public safety.
The
WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows
at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The message will be broadcasted on radio, TV, cable stations,
cell phones, and Internet applications.
“In
an effort to avoid unnecessary alarm, we are informing our citizens now to
avoid concern. Alerts will be received in the form of loud tones and a pop up
message on mobile phones,” said Carroll County Director of Public Safety Scott
Campbell.
The
WEA test message will alert and read:
“THIS
IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is
needed.”
The
EAS message will read:
“THIS
IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by
broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local
authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been
an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the tone alert you
heard at the start of this message. A similar Wireless Emergency Alert test
message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will
receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”
For
more information visit:
https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test.
For additional information, contact:
Chris Winebrenner
410-386-2043
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