To: rbrannum@robertbrannum.com
Subject: [WardFive] RESCHEDULED - Emergency Alert System: "THIS IS A TEST" - Wednesday, October 3, 2018
**UPDATE**
IPAWS National Test of
the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)
The National EAS and WEA
test has been postponed to the backup date of October 3, 2018,
beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT.
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) on the backup date of October 3, 2018 due to ongoing
response efforts to Hurricane Florence. The WEA portion of the test commences
at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will
assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a
national message and determine whether improvements are needed.
The WEA test
message will be sent to cell phones that are connected to wireless providers
participating in WEA. This is the fourth EAS nationwide test and the first
national WEA test. Previous EAS national tests were conducted in November 2011,
September 2016, and September 2017 in collaboration with the FCC, broadcasters,
and emergency management officials in recognition of FEMA’s National
Preparedness Month.The EAS is a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency. The test is made available to EAS participants (i.e., radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers) and is scheduled to last approximately one minute. The test message will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. The EAS message will include a reference to the WEA test:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This
system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications
Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an
emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have
followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar
wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones
nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No
action is required.”
Cell towers will
broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT.
During this time, WEA
compatible cell phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell
tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of
receiving the test message. Some cell phones will not receive
the test message, and cell phones should only receive the message once. The WEA
test message will have a header that reads "Presidential Alert" and
text that says:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert
System. No action is needed.”
The WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of receiving the WEA test.
The test was originally planned for September 20, 2018 but has been postponed until October 3, 2018 due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence.
@DC_HSEMA
#####
Robert
Vinson Brannum
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