SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> Your electronic devices may alarm you on Wednesday morning — but there’s a good reason for that.
The emergency alerts system is intended to ensure public safety officials can deliver timely warnings and urgent alerts in times of crisis or national disaster.
A nationwide test of the federal emergency alert system will be broadcast at approximately 11:20am to 11:50am Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday October 4 to cellphones, televisions and radios across the United States at around the same time. Most Americans with wireless cellular devices will receive an emergency alert message, as will most whose televisions or radios are on when the test occurs.
What is an emergency alert?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct Wednesday’s test in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission. Emergency alert messages that make up the test are divided into two groups — the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for radios and televisions, and the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) for wireless phones — although both are scheduled to happen at once.
Wednesday will mark the seventh nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. Six previous tests were conducted over the years between November 2011 and August 2021. This will be the third nationwide test of wireless alerts, and the second nationwide test transmitted to all cellphones, FEMA said in a statement.
As the wireless alert tests are sent out to phones, the Emergency Alert System tests will be sent out to televisions and radios.
People who receive the test alert on their phones will see a message that reads: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The agencies have set a backup testing date on Wednesday October 11, which will be used if there is widespread severe weather or other significant events occurring on Wednesday October 4 that derail the planned test.
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