Get Ready: National Emergency Alert System Test Set for Oct. 4
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is prepping a mid-week wake-up call with a test of its Emergency Alert Systems.
At around 2:20 p.m. ET on Oct. 4, 2023, FEMA and the FCC will conduct a national Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) test, which is intended to make sure that Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) are ready to respond in a real emergency.
These emergency alerts should hit devices from all major US wireless providers. Tests should appear only once if your phone is on and in range of an active cell tower. Similar alerts will appear on TVs and radio stations.
The alert will say: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." The TV and radio alert will last one minute and 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." If your phone's language is set to Spanish, the alerts will appear in that language.
If there is severe weather on Oct. 4, the test will be pushed back to Oct. 11.
Legitimate emergency alerts could trigger due to a variety of reasons, including public safety alerts, national emergencies, child abductions, but also extreme weather conditions, law enforcement officer attacks, and more. The tests are designed to ensure the systems are ready in a real-life crisis.
Expect a loud noise on your phone around the designated time on Oct. 4, accompanied by a vibration. Once received, you should be able to dismiss the notification and continue as normal.
As the AP reports, the test has made its way to the conspiracy theorists, some
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