MANCHESTER, NH – It may sound counterintuitive but don’t be alarmed when your cell phone goes off today at 2:20 p.m.
It’s just a test.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission have planned to test the national public alert and warning system on Wednesday by sending an alarm out through all smartphones connected to a cellular network. You will see a message accompanied by an alert sound and vibration: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Such FEMA tests allow the federal government can get important messages to Americans in emergency situations. A law passed in 2015 says FEMA needs to conduct a nationwide test every three years.
“We want to make sure that when it counts, we can keep you informed,” FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said in a short video.
TV and radio stations will also cuit to the test message around the same time.
The last FEMA test was conducted in August 2021.
The same system can be used by a U.S. president, which was done in 2018.
The alert sound can’t be turned off on smartphones if they are on. No sign-up or subscription is required to receive the alert. While iPhones and most Android smartphones offer settings to opt out of certain government alerts, such as Amber alerts, users can’t opt out of this test, FEMA said.
About the National Test
According to FEMA, tThe national test will help ensure that Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) continue to be effective ways to warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.
All major U.S. wireless providers participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts and will transmit the national test to their subscribers.
If your mobile phone is on and within range of an active cell tower from a participating wireless provider, you should receive the national test. Wireless providers will transmit the national test for 30 minutes, but your phone should only receive it once.
IPAWS National Test 2023
The test will reach millions of mobile phones across the country via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), radio and television via the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and other communication pathways.
Backup testing date is Oct. 11.