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) system on October 3, 2018. This test will send messages using both the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system as well as the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The WEA portion of the test will begin at 11:18 AM, and the EAS portion follows at 11:20 AM.
Area residents should receive these notifications shortly after the test begins. Both the WEA and EAS messages will clearly state that they are tests only. No action is required for any residents. Residents with questions regarding this national test can direct their questions via email to FEMA-National-Test@fema.dhs.gov.
Cellular telephone towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 11:18 AM. During this time, WEA compatible cell phones that are switched on, within range of an active cellular tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message. Some cellular phones will not receive the test message, and cellular phones should only receive the message once. The WEA test message will have a header that reads “Presidential Alert” and text that says:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”