U.S. Emergency Alert Test Will Hit Smartphones, TV and Radio on Oct. 4
variety.comTodd Spangler NY Digital Editor Don’t be alarmed: The U.S. government on Oct. 4 will be conducting a test — only a test — of the emergency alert systems that span the nation’s millions of wireless phones, TVs and radios.
FEMA, in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, Oct.
4, scheduled to start at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET. The purpose of the tests is “to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” the agencies said.
Congress passed legislation in 2015 requiring FEMA to conduct nationwide tests of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System at least once every three years; the most recent national test occurred in 2021.
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