FEMA and FCC to Conduct National Emergency Alert System Test on Oct. 4

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have announced a scheduled test of the national Emergency Alert System on October 4 of this year.

Historically, this test has triggered all phones, televisions, radios, and stereos to emit a loud, attention-grabbing tone, followed by an announcement that it’s a test and no response is required.

The upcoming assessment in October will comprise two distinct demonstrations of emergency broadcasts: the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which will transmit to all televisions and radios within range, and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which will send a message to all cell phones in the vicinity of receivers reading “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

This marks only the second test of the WEA for cellular devices and the seventh overall test of the EAS.

Texts will be displayed in either English or Spanish, based on each phone’s language settings.

Credits: News 3 LV