October 3, 2023
We recognize that in disasters, seconds count. Getting alerts out promptly to our communities saves lives.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, Deanne Criswell, on the warning test that will be sent to Americans on Wednesday.
The Big Picture: On Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. ET, cellphones, TVs and radios in the United States will receive a message as FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) test wireless and emergency alert systems. This will be the third nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (alerts cellphones) and the seventh test of the Emergency Alert Systems (alerts TVs and radios).
In a press release, the FCC and FEMA said, “The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.”
What Will Happen? NBC News explains that if your phone is on “and within range of an active cell tower from a participating wireless provider,” you will receive a message that reads “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed,” in either English or Spanish. Radios and televisions will receive a separate, similar message.
Read More:
A nationwide emergency alert will be sent to all U.S. cellphones Wednesday
FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023
by Jenna Lee,
