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Nationwide Emergency Alert Test Scheduled for
Wednesday, October 4
Published: October 03, 2023
at 05:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from FEMA
FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for
Oct. 4, 2023
Test Messages Will be Sent to All TVs, Radios and Cell Phones
WASHINGTON- FEMA, in
coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct
a nationwide test of
the Emergency
Alert System (EAS) and Wireless
Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall.
The national test
will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests
are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
The WEA portion
of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the
third nationwide test, but the second test to all
cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in
Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.
The EAS portion
of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the
seventh nationwide EAS test.
FEMA and the FCC
are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency
managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test
to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.
The purpose of
the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective
means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the
national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread
severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is
Oct. 11.
The WEA portion
of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized
internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send
authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple
communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent
to cell phones.
This year the EAS
message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message
via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for
Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).
All wireless
phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected
from the nationwide WEA test:
- Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell
towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During
this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within
range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider
participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test
message.
- 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.”
WEA alerts are
created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal
and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless
providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted
areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire
public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a
unique tone and vibration.
Important
information about the EAS test:
- The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to
last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the
participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems,
satellite radio and television providers and wireline video
providers.
- The test message will be similar
to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public
is familiar. It will state: “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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