In the event of any emergency, the Emergency Alert System is used to communicate critical information to the public in a short amount of time, normally this is used for severe weather situations, Amber Alerts and public safety notifications.
Now, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are planning another nationwide Emergency Alert System Test for October 2023.
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The Emergency Alert System, which was formerly known as the Emergency Broadcast System was established to provide the President of the United States with an expeditious method of communicating with the American public in the event of war, threat of war, or grave national crisis. The Emergency Broadcast System replaced the CONELRAD system on August 5th, 1963. In later years, it was expanded for use during peacetime emergencies at the state and local levels.
Although this system has never been used for a real national emergency, it has been activated more than 20,000 times between 1976 and 1996 to broadcast civil emergency messages and severe weather watches, warning and other hazards.
The National Level (or Presidential Level) test will be done in two different parts, testing the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) capabilities. The test will be held on Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at approximately 2:20 p.m. EDT.
Here’s how the two different parts of the test breakdown:
- Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): This portion of the test will be directed towards your cell phone or wireless device. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test that will be sent to all cellular or wireless devices. The test message that will be sent will be in English or in Spanish depending on the language settings that your device has.
- Emergency Alert System (EAS): This portion of the test will be sent to all radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test conducted.
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers along with other stakeholders in preparation for this national level test to help minimize the confusion and to maximize the value of the upcoming test.
The purpose of this test is to make sure that the system continues to be an effective means to alert the public about emergencies, especially those that originate on a national level. If severe weather or other significant events do occur and the test is postponed, the back-up date for the test is the following week, Wednesday, October 11th, 2023.
The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:
- Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. EDT, 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”
- All wireless phones should receive the message only once.
Wireless Emergency 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 devices in geo-targeted areas. This is 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.
The following can be expected from the nationwide 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 regularly monthly EAS test message 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 EDT. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”