This fall, the US federal government will run a drill of its alert systems that are sent to every phone, TV and radio in the country once every couple of years.
Through a statementthe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated that the drill will take place on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, around 2:20 p.m.
According to FEMA, the drill will trigger two types of alerts, the Wireless Alert System (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The WEA system will alert all phones nationwide, while the EAS system will alert all radios and televisions in the country.
How do you know if you are going to receive the alert?
FEMA indicated that the WEA alert will be sent to all phones in the US in English or Spanish, depending on the primary language of the device.
The message will read:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. No action needed.”
For its part, the EAS alert will only be sent in English and the following message can be heard or read on radios and televisions:
“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.
If you receive the alert, FEMA indicated that this will only be a test so it will not be necessary to do anything about it.
Why is this alert being sent?
FEMA stressed that these alerts are sent out once every couple of years in order to ensure that the systems remain an effective means of warning the public about emergencies, especially at the national level.
The October 4 drill will be the third time FEMA has tested its WEA system since it was created in 2018, while this would be the sixth time the EAS system has been tested.
FEMA noted that WEA alerts are sent to millions of mobile phones that have providers that participate in its emergency program. There are currently more than 100 phone line providers participating.
The agency concluded that while the October 4 drill will be a national event, WEAs and EAS alerts may be issued by federal, state, or local authorities depending on the impact of the alert.
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