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 Alerts
(WEA) on September 20, 2018. The WEA portion of the test commences at
2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will assess
the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a
national message and determine whether improvements are needed.
The
WEA test message will be sent to cell phones that are connected to
wireless providers participating in WEA. This is the fourth EAS
nationwide test and the first national WEA test. Previous EAS national
tests were conducted in September 2011, 2016 and 2017 in collaboration
with the FCC, broadcasters, and emergency management officials in
recognition of FEMA’s National Preparedness Month.
The EAS
is a national public warning system that provides the President with
the communications capability to address the nation during a national
emergency. The test is made available to EAS
participants (i.e., radio and television broadcasters, cable systems,
satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers)
and is scheduled to last approximately one minute. The test message will
be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public
is familiar. The EAS message will include a reference to the WEA test:
“THIS
IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was
developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications
Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of
an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message
would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this
message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent
to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”
Cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT. During
this time, WEA compatible cell phones that are switched on, within
range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless carrier participates
in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message. Some cell
phones will not receive the test message, and cell 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.”
The
WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing
children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones.
The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with
all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt
out of the WEA test.
If circumstances, such as a major weather event, cause the IPAWS National Test to be postponed, the back-up date is Wednesday, October 3, 2018.