Don't Be Alarmed: FEMA and FCC to Test National Emergency Alert System

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (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 fall.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests will begin at approximately 2:20 pm on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test but the second for all cellular devices. 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. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

The test aims to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. If the October 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the backup testing date is October 11.

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. This year, the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).

According to the FCC:

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.

Important information about the EAS test:

Visit the FCC website for more information.