October 5, 2023
A nationwide test of the wireless emergency alert system was conducted on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 2:20 PM ET. The test was conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that the system is effective in warning the public of emergencies.
The wireless emergency alert system is used to warn about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations. It has been used more than 84,000 times since its launch in 2012.
During the test, cell towers broadcast a message that read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The message was accompanied by a unique attention signal and vibration.
The test was successful, and FEMA and the FCC reported that there were no major problems. However, some people reported not receiving the alert, or receiving it multiple times. FEMA said that this was likely due to technical issues with some cell towers or devices.
The test was conducted in all time zones in the United States and its territories. And some older phones did not receive wireless emergency alerts. Although, the wireless emergency alerts cannot be blocked, people with secret phones are urged to turn off their phones completely during a national alert test.
The result of the test was that the wireless emergency alert system is ready to be used in a real emergency.
The sources for this piece include an article in Axios.
