WEST VIRGINIA (Hinton News) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in connection with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, Oct. 4. There is a 30-minute test window beginning at 2:20 p.m. ET. All cellphones, televisions and radios will receive the test alert once during that timeframe.
According to FEMA, this is the seventh nationwide EAS test and the third nationwide WEAS test; however, it is only the second such event to go out to all WEA-compatible devices. In a statement, FEMA stated that these tests “ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.”
In the event of an actual emergency or other reason to postpone, the test has a backup date scheduled for Oct. 11.
The message displayed on WEA capable device will appear in either English or Spanish depending on the phone’s default language. In English, the message will read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” For those with Spanish set as the default language, the display will show, “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
FEMA further notes that phones that are switched off for the duration of the test period should not receive the message.
For more information, visit fema.gov.
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