FEMA TO CONDUCT EAS AND WEA TEST ON WEDNESDAY

  

FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this Wednesday (October 4) at 1:20pm.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. The test message will display in either English or Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.

The purpose of the Wednesday’s test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones. 

All wireless phones should receive the message only once.