Do not be alarmed, this is only a test.
On Wednesday, beginning at 11:20 a.m. PST, the federal government will conduct a nationwide test of its emergency alert system, with messages sent to every cell phone, TV and radio.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission are running the tests to “ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” according to a joint statement released Tuesday.
The cell phone alert will be familiar for many, being similar to National Weather Service and AMBER alerts.
Cell towers will emit the message for 30 minutes, but each device should only receive the message once, accompanied by an alarm and vibration. The wireless alert will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
For phones set to Spanish, the message will read: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
TOMORROW, OCT. 4: There will be a nationwide emergency alert test sent to all TVs, radios, and cell phones at 2:20 p.m. ET.
Important information and what can be expected from the nationwide test: https://t.co/2yv5y297wb
Frequently Asked Questions ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/gWjCynM8zb
— FEMA (@fema) October 3, 2023
On TV and over the radio, the test is slated to last one minute across all broadcast, cable, satellite and other providers.
The TV and radio message will state: “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.”
This will mark the third nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert to cell phones, but only the second test that will be sent to all compatible devices, according to the announcement. For the Emergency Alert System, which goes to TV and radio, this will be the seventh nationwide test.
If the test should be postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the agencies announced Oct. 11 as a back-up testing date.