Public Emergency Alert Systems Scheduled to Be Tested in October

The logo of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seen at its headquarters in Washington in this file photo. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a nationwide test of its emergency alert system in October to ensure they continue to remain effective.

The nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will be conducted on Oct. 4 and will begin at 2:20 p.m. ET, FEMA said in an Aug. 3 press release. “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. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.”

EAS is a national public warning system that requires communication channels like radio, TV, and satellite operators to provide the with president the ability to address the public within 10 minutes during a national emergency. “This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test,” the release said.

“The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers.”

The text message will be similar to what the public has experienced with the regular monthly EAS text messages.

The message will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”

WEA are short emergency messages broadcast from cell towers to any WEA‐enabled mobile device. “The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices.” the agency said.

“The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.”

“Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless 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.”

Mobile users will receive a message on their phones saying: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

To ensure that the WEA alerts are accessible to all people, including those with disabilities, the alerts will be accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.

FEMA and EAS

FEMA is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and operating the EAS at the federal level together with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The IPAWS Modernization Act of 2015 mandates FEMA to carry out at least one nationwide EAS test every three years.

It requires FEMA “to help ensure that under all conditions the President can alert and warn the civilian population in areas endangered by natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters or threats to public safety.”

The last test, the sixth one, was conducted in 2021, with the test message lasting for around a minute. The previous five tests were held in 2011 and annually between 2016 and 2019.

In the past, the EAS has sent erroneous alerts. In 2018, the system sent a false emergency alert to residents in Hawaii warning: “Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill.”

Authorities had to immediately issue follow-up messages to calm down the panicked population. The false alert was later identified to have been triggered due to a human error.

EAS and AM Radio

The EAS has been in the news this year due to worries that auto manufacturers could ditch installing AM radio receivers in vehicles.

“As the backbone of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), AM radio serves a vital role in our nation’s emergency communications infrastructure,” lawmakers led by Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) wrote in a May 15 letter (pdf) to the chief of auto firms like BMW, Ford, GM, Tesla, and Volvo.

“AM radio has more than 45 million listeners each month, and our constituents rely heavily on it for emergency alerts.”

“In the case of natural disasters—tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other local emergencies—AM radio is a lifeline. It provides early warning, up-to-the-minute local information needed to survive when these disasters strike,” the letter said while urging automakers to retain AM radios in vehicles.

The letter pointed out that having access to AM radio is especially important in rural areas where internet connectivity and cell phone service can be limited or even unavailable. In times of crisis, AM radios are crucial in these regions.

That month, Ford announced that it would include AM radio functionality in all its new vehicles after earlier planning not to do so.

However, companies like Tesla, BMW, Volvo, and Audi have already done away with AM radio in their electric cars. Mazda and Volkswagen have also announced that they will be following suit.