By James Herold
On Oct. 4 at 2:20 p.m., every TV, radio and cellphone in the United States will blare out the distinctive, jarring electronic warning tone of an emergency alert, accompanied by a public notice. But don’t worry. It is just a planned test for the entire nation’s Emergency Alert system. A trial to ensure everything is working correctly in the event of a big national disaster or attack.
Americans with wireless cellular devices will receive an emergency alert message on their phones, as will most whose televisions or radios that are on when the test occurs.
When it launches, the test will interrupt regular television and radio programming, regardless of the channel or station to broadcast this message: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States 2:20 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
Since 2015, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been required under federal law to test the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) at least once every three years. Those tests involve the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and other alerts and warnings.
Cell towers will broadcast the emergency alert test for 30 minutes, but each phone should only receive it once. During that half-hour, wireless phones that are turned on, not in airplane mode, and compatible with the alerts should receive the alert as long as they are located within a certain range of an active cell tower and their wireless provider participates, FEMA said. All major wireless providers will participate in FEMA’s wireless alert system. Some older devices may not be compatible. FEMA notes that if you’re on a phone call at the time of the alert, the message and tone will be delayed until you hang up.
FEMA’s upcoming test recently sparked a wave of conspiracy theories online, which are not based on reality and misrepresent how the technology works. The test itself could help raise public awareness about what to do in the case of a national emergency, similar to the ways in which running a fire drill helps familiarize people with the process of an evacuation.
