You don’t need to panic on Wednesday, Oct. 4, when you receive the following one-minute message at approximately 2:20 p.m., Eastern Time (ET) on your cell phone, hear it on the radio, or see it on TV.
“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
It’s only the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conducting a national trial testing of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). Cell towers will begin broadcasting the emergency alert for 30 minutes.
The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will conduct their testing simultaneously when the Emergency Alert System (EAS) sends messages to radios and TVs. This is the second test for all cellular devices and the seventh nationwide EAS test. The same audio tone has been used since the 1960s to broadcast national warnings. A FEMA spokesperson said there are no known adverse health effects from the signal.
Since all major U.S. wireless providers participate in WEA, all subscribers will receive the message. If your cell phone is on and within range of an active cell tower, you should receive the warning once during the 30-minute test.
Depending on your phone’s set language, you will receive emergency alerts in English or Spanish. The warnings will have a unique tone and vibration to make them as accessible as possible.
In the case of severe weather or other events on Oct. 4, The test will be postponed until Wednesday, Oct. 11 .
The alerts are being sent to guarantee the country is prepared to inform the public in case of a large-scale national emergency. The testing will ensure that Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) con