NATIONWIDE — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, is running a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
- Test happens Wednesday 1:20 p.m. CST
- Fifth test like this
- EAS allows the president to address nation during national emergency
The test is scheduled for Wednesday, August 7 at 1:20 p.m. CST.
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The test will assess the operational readiness for distribution of a national message.
The EAS is a public warning system that allows the president to address the nation during a national emergency.
At the beginning of the test, radio stations that participate with FEMA in the National Public Warning System will broadcast the national test message. Within minutes, radio, television, cable, wireline service providers and direct broadcast satellite service providers will broadcast the message. The test will not occur on phones.
The audio test message will be similar to the EAS tests that most people are familiar with:
“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. No action is required.”
This is the fifth test of the EAS. FEMA ran the test in November 2011, September 2016 and 2017, and October 2018.
