Nationwide Wireless Emergency Alert Test September 20th
Citizens to Receive "Presidential Alert" Test Message on Wireless Devices
COLUMBUS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) on Thursday, September 20, 2018 beginning at 2:18 p.m. The test will evaluate the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether technological improvements are needed.
The WEA
system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children,
and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. It allows customers whose wireless provider
participates in WEA and who own a WEA compatible wireless phone to receive
geo-targeted alerts of imminent threats to safety in their area through unique
tones and vibration. The national WEA test
will use the same tone and vibration. The test message will display "Presidential Alert" and read “THIS IS A
TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is
needed."
The WEA test will
be sent through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), as part of the nation’s modern alert and warning
infrastructure that automatically authenticates alerts. The test is intended to
ensure public safety officials have the methods and systems that will deliver
urgent alerts and warnings to the public in times of an emergency or disaster.
"Because this is the first national test of the Wireless Emergency Alert capability, we want to make sure residents know this is only a test and not to be alarmed when they receive a "Presidential Alert" on their cell phones," said Jeffrey J. Young, Director of Franklin County Emergency Management & Homeland Security.
The EAS test will take place at 2:20 p.m. and is only available to EAS participants (e.g., radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers). The test message will last approximately one minute and be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar.
FEMA has set October 3, 2018 as secondary test date if needed.
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