FEMA's Nationwide Emergency Alert Test Coming to Your Phone Today

Title: FEMA's Nationwide Emergency Alert Test Coming to Your Phone Today

This Tuesday, October 4th, FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. This regular testing is crucial to ensure that in real emergencies and disasters, the President, federal agencies, and state/local officials can quickly send alerts to the public across TV, radio, and cell phones.

At 2:20 PM EDT today, a test alert with the header "NATIONAL TEST" will be sent to TV and radio stations across the country. The test message may also be received directly on cell phones connected to wireless providers that participate in the WEA system.

Receiving this test message does NOT indicate that any real emergency is occurring, so there is no need to take action. This is just a routine test of the system. If there were a real alert, it would indicate the type of emergency and instructions.

Testing the Emergency Alert System periodically helps ensure technical capabilities are maintained and any issues are identified and fixed. It allows assessment of how well the system works under different conditions and identifies any gaps in coverage.

While testing may cause brief disruptions on broadcasts and phones, it is critical to conduct these periodic tests to provide confidence that when a real natural disaster, AMBER alert, or other emergency occurs, life-saving information can be quickly sent out.

Be prepared for the nationwide test today and rest assured that if you receive the test message, it is only a drill. Thanks for watching!