The Emergency Alert System (EAS) test will sound on radios and TVs, while Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will be sent to cell phones across America.
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Oct. 4, around 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, cell phones, TVs and radios across the country will blare an alert as part of a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System.
While it may be a bit jarring, the alerts are only a test – so there’s no reason to panic!
The purpose of these tests are to assess the effectiveness of FEMA’s Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. Federal law requires the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was Aug. 11, 2021.
Cell phones should only receive the message once as part of Wednesday’s test.
When will the emergency alert test happen?
- 2:20 p.m. EDT
- 1:20 p.m. CDT
- 12:20 p.m. MDT
- 11:20 a.m. PDT
What will the emergency alert message say on cell phones?
- For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
- Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
What will the emergency alert sound like? We can’t show you or else we’ll face a big fine
The FCC has extremely strict rules surrounding emergency alert tones and bans media outlets, like TV stations, from airing the tones outside of an actual emergency.
The reason is that they want to “preserve the unique purpose and effectiveness of the EAS Tones.” Basically, the FCC wants people to take notice when they hear those familiar tones and not just tune them out.
Earlier this year, the FCC proposed fining FOX more than half a million dollars after the network used EAS tones during a NFL promo segment.
So while we can’t share an example of what the emergency alert sounds like, chances are you’ve heard it before.
Wednesday’s test of the nationwide Emergency Alert System will use the same familiar audio tone that’s been in use since the 1960s to broadcast warnings across the country, according to Jeremy Edwards, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is overseeing the test.
The test is slated to begin on Oct. 4 at around 2:20 p.m. Eastern time, but could be postponed to Oct. 11 if there’s severe weather or other significant events, according to FEMA.
Edwards said the audio signal used for the tests utilizes the same combination of tones familiar to Americans since 1963, when President John F. Kennedy established the original Emergency Broadcast System through an executive order. It’s also the same tone that more than 1,700 local, state, territorial and tribal authorities use to send similar alerts for more localized emergencies.
Will all cell phones get the nationwide test message on Wednesday?
According to the FCC, the vast majority of people will get the WEA test message on their cell phones on Oct. 4. However, phones that are off, in “airplane mode” or not within the coverage area of a cell tower may not get the message.
The agency also noted some older cell phones may not receive alerts and some older devices may not display the alert if a person is on a call.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
