UPDATE
The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area tested the Wireless Emergency System (WEA) on Thursday. Twenty jurisdictions, including Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, sent test messages. It was the first large-scale WEA test in such a large area and the first to use geo-targeting capabilities.
All the messages were transmitted within 30 minutes, between 10 and 10:30 a.m., Sulayman Brown, who coordinated the test, told Inside Towers. All major carriers participated, according to Brown, who’s the Assistant Coordinator of Operations and Outreach Division in the Office of Emergency Management of Fairfax County, VA.
Officials predicted before the event, that potentially five million people could have received the test message. They’ll know more details after consumers fill out a survey about the test. The short survey, (available here), asks whether you received an alert, at what time, and where you were located. Consumers are also asked what operating system their smartphone uses: Apple iOS, Android, Windows OS, Blackberry OS, Series 40 (S40) by Nokia or “other.” Local emergency management officials seek feedback by April 11.
These jurisdictions, members of the National Capital Region Emergency Managers Council of Governments, took part in the test: City of Alexandria, Arlington County, City of Bowie, City of College Park, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, City of Gaithersburg, City of Greenbelt, City of Takoma Park, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park, City of Rockville, District of Columbia, Charles County, Fairfax County, Frederick County, Loudoun County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Prince William County.
by Leslie Stimson, Washington Bureau Chief, Inside Towers
April 6, 2018
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