Update, Sept. 24: The date has been changed to Oct. 3 due to response efforts to Hurricane Florence.
Original story: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in coordinator with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) this Thursday, September 20. The wireless test will start at 2:18 p.m. followed by the EAS portion (television and radio) at 2:20 p.m.
There is no opt-out for the wireless test, so this means that cell phones will be going off during class time at the middle and high school levels, causing a disruption to learning; elementary schools will be starting their dismissal during the test. The school system is encouraging middle and high school teachers to use the time as a teachable moment about emergency preparedness and why these tests are important.
The cell phone message will be similar to the one the public is used to seeing and hearing on television and radio. It will read “This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
This is the first time that there has been a nationwide test of the cellular alert system, which is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones.
Receiving preparedness tips and timely information about weather conditions or other emergency events can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to be safe. FEMA and its partners are working to ensure alerts and warnings are received quickly through several different technologies, no matter whether an individual is at home, at school, at work, or out in the community.
