The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be testing its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPaws) Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 2:20 p.m. The national test consists of two portions, testing Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
All consumer cell phones will receive the test alert during the WEA portion of the test. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.
Alerts will broadcast to all radios and televisions during the EAS portion of the test. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.
All wireless phones should receive the message only once. Beginning at 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for 30 minutes. Consumers may expect to recieve the test alert text message at this time.
The message that appears on cell phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
The alternative date for the test is Oct. 11.
📢On Wednesday, October 4 at 2:20 pm, @fema will conduct a test of the national emergency alert system on cell phones, wireless devices, radios, & TVs.
This is a standard test that occurs at least once every three years. No action is needed.
Info: https://t.co/og5NyZwDHH pic.twitter.com/oTGf6Hrnh2
— Montgomery Co OEMHS (@ReadyMontgomery) October 3, 2023
