UPDATE The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS) next Wednesday.
The Wireless Emergency Alert portion of the test will be directed only to consumer cell phones where the subscriber has opted-in to receive test messages, Inside Towers reported. This will be the second nationwide WEA test, but the first nationwide WEA test on a consumer opt-in basis, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.
The Emergency Alert System portion of the test will be sent from stations to radios and televisions. This will be the sixth nationwide EAS test.
The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code that alerts only phones that have opted in to receive WEA test messages. The EAS portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA-designated Primary Entry Point stations.
In case the August 11 test is canceled due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, a back-up testing date is scheduled for August 25.
Beginning at 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will transmit the test for approximately 30 minutes. Wireless phones should receive the message only once.
Cell phone users should receive the test message if:
- The phone is turned on,
- Subscribers have opted-in to receive test messages,
- The phone is within range of a cell tower, and
- The wireless provider participates in WEA.
For consumers who have opted in to receive WEA test messages, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with wireless providers, EAS participants, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test. The test is intended to ensure public safety officials have the methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public in times of an emergency or disaster.
The purpose of the August 11 test is to ensure that the WEA and EAS systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems helps to assess the operational readiness of alerting infrastructure and to identify any needed technological and administrative improvements.
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