Emergency Test

This might belong in the general conspiracy forum, if so mods please move.

My wife and I was watching The Doctors today (my wife loves that show) and around 4:23 pm one of those broadcast emergency tests comes up.

Nothing strange really.

That was until the scrolling bar at the bottom said.

"This test includes the following counties: United States."

Now I'm not one to freak out about things like this, but this was the first time I have ever seen a broadcast test be issued to the whole US at the same time.

Did anyone else catch this and has anyone seen a test like this be issued to the whole US at the same time?

edit to add that this was central time.

[edit on 17-9-2009 by jd140]

Very interesting. I didn't have the TV on today at all, so I missed it. I haven't seen something like this since the cold war days. They used to do EBS tests on the national channels back then.

that is strage, nothing like that here in montana today, actualy, oddly enough we have not had a test in quite a while, there for a little while it was a few times a day for a week or so, but latley nothing....

i have never seen anything that had "united states" in it.

I wonder if they are going global with the EMS system?

reply to post by jd140


JD I have only ever seen tests issued to Individual County’s. Today I did not see this as I was sleeping. However it could have been a miss type. If not this is the first time that I can remember in my 28 years that the national emergency broadcast system has ever put out a mass warning.

It could have something to do with this.

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).
What is IPAWS?
During an emergency, the President, federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local officials and emergency managers must provide the public with life-saving information quickly.
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is the nation’s next-generation infrastructure of alert and warning networks expanding upon the traditional audio-only radio and television Emergency Alert System (EAS) by providing one message over more media to more people before, during, and after a disaster.
The vision of IPAWS builds and maintains an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible and comprehensive system that enables the American people to receive alert and warning information through as many means as possible. IPAWS ensures the President can alert and warn the public under all conditions. IPAWS will provide federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local warning authorities the capabilities to alert and warn their respective communities of all hazards impacting public safety and well-being via multiple communications pathways.

You can read more about it here www.fema.gov...

reply to post by rogerstigers


Did the test cover the whole US?

I don't even remember seeing something like this in the year following 9/11.

Like I said I don't freak out over things like this, but for some reason this got the hairs on the back of my neck tingling.

Funny thing is that my wife was the one that caught it and I rewound it(thank you dvr) and sure enough it said United States.

I told her she was seeing things and had to apologize. I hate it when shes right.

reply to post by ashnomadonte


I doubt it was a typo.

The IPAWS sounds more plausible.

I still find it a little odd though, don't know why. This has gotten the gears grinding.

The guy who runs the test probably just entered "United States" in the county input box thinking it said "Country".

I wouldn't "particularly" worry about it. Though the system was designed for "emergency" situations, in general, it was initially envisioned as a local system to advise people in case of an earthquake, flood, tornado, etc. within a relatively small area such as that covered by TV and radio broadcast antennae. However as technology has advanced, the system has been expanded to include more general situations which would involve a region such as city or county, state, time zone, or entire country. The tests are conducted somewhat randomly, though they do try to minimize interference with regular broadcasts, and monitored likewise to ensure they operate as intended: regional tests only are displayed in a region, etc.

Now, had it not said "this is a test"... then you would need to worry.

reply to post by TeddiRevolution


That would make sense if it didn't say the test covered the following counties" United States.

reply to post by jd140


Honestly, I would have no idea... no internet back then to compare notes..

Dunno. Teddi has a point though, depending on the template and whether the guy firing it off was new of not, it could have been a noobie error combined with a misread.

I live in NYC (Queens) and have noticed a LOT of these tests lately. It is probably either an initiative from somewhere to really make sure these measures are in place, especially with the recent transition to "all digital"

- or -

the world is going to end.

As long as I can catch Dancing with the Stars, let the fire rain down...

[edit on 17-9-2009 by TruthWithin]

reply to post by jd140

Since 2004, FEMA has served as the Federal Executive Branch lead agency for developing IPAWS. In June 2006, the President signed the Public Alert and Warning System Executive Order to drive the creation of a more “effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system that enables the American people to receive alert and warning information through as many means as possible.” In response, FEMA established the IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) in April 2007.

here is a little more for ya JD

EAS Modernization and Expansion Project

In 2009, the IPAWS PMO will complete partial communications path diversification for alert messages by deploying Digital Emergency Alert System (DEAS) to states and a U.S. territory. The first stage of DEAS will add connectivity to the legacy EAS and will enable State Emergency Operations Centers to transmit audio alerts.

In 2009, the IPAWS PMO will complete the integration of satellite data transmission paths as a diverse path for EAS message delivery from FEMA to relay stations. Satellite infrastructure can be fully integrated with the legacy EAS and initially provides a reliable, redundant commercial system utilizing multiple uplinks and satellites for national level EAS distribution.

From 2009-2011, the IPAWS PMO will expand incrementally the number of participating broadcast stations each year for a total of 69 stations. The expansion of participating stations will address known gaps in population coverage. The end goal is to maximize service to the public.

The IPAWS program will continue to develop additional paths such a satellite, digital radio, Internet, and commercial broadcast television for later inclusion into the IPAWS program, to broaden the diversity and increase the types of communications pathways providing public alert and warning messages.

systemenhancements.shtm
I bet they were just testing as you can see from the above the system is set to work in our territories I am going to take that as Puerto rico and such. So it would stand to reason that if they were testing the new system that it should say the United States, instead of its territories. Just my take on it.

LOL that reminds me of "The villian". Arnold Schwarzenegger is driving a coach and comes across a sign, and says "We have to be careful, we're entering Indian country". and Anne Margaret says, "That's indian COUNTY"! The look on his face was priceless

BTW, I would say I'm showing my age, but I'm only 27. That movie was damn near required learning in the great State of Oklahoma when I was a kid

Eh, I guess nothing to worry about. If there is then not much I can do about it.

Thanks for the info.

We weren't watching tv this afternoon, but something strange did happen after the alert system went off the other day.
Two days ago we were watching King of Hill on fox at about 5 p.m. and they interrupted for an Amber Alert. No big deal, but afterwards the tv was automatically on CSPAN and we couldn't change the channel or go to guide or anything else except turn the cable box off. CSPAN was on for about 10 minutes (possibly less, but it felt like 10 mins) before the TV automatically switched back to king of the HIll. It did the same thing yesterday at 11 a.m. when they did their monthly earthquake/tsunami drill except CSPAN didn't last as long.
We live in Western Washington and have Comcast.
Since it said US instead of your state or county, out of curiousity, during the last EBS message, did you lose control of your box too or do you have a converter box?

reply to post by collietta


Nothing weird like that happened.

Just a few annoying beeps and a scroll bar at the bottom followed by a few more annoying beeps.

realy its sad, as advanced as we are, as many gadgets as we have in our home, and as cutting edge as computers and tv's are, this is the best system money can buy...

i mean when you realy think about it, a major disaster like katrina or others comes upon us, and unless we have the tv on, or the compuer (and acutaly know how to use a computer not just check email and play games) no real warning is given...

how many millions are they spending on this EAS, DAS system, sure its better than a kick in the pants, but realy, in the relm of what is [snip] away by your dear govt. Its like you or i going to buy a coke.

reply to post by severdsoul


I'm not sure where you live, so I don't know if your city has them. Here in Oklahoma, and all over the Midwest and South, we have Civil Defense Towers. Basically they are air horns that give off an "air raid" sound that alerts us to tornado's and fires. Most of these are either mechanical or on their own power so they work even in outages. It helps, but of course it's only as good as the operator at the switch

I HIGHLY doubt there is ANY conspiracy here, just a general test on a nationwide alert. I sure would want to be alerted of some national threatening event! Not everything is a conspiracy guys....

reply to post by jkrog08


But!!! Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they really aren't after me does it?

Edit to add: I swear it wasn't a one liner when I posted it

[edit on 17-9-2009 by midnightbrigade]