FEMA "Presidential Alert" Test - Wednesday, 2:12 PM EST

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is finally testing the new U.S. “presidential alert” system after the initial test was delayed for nearly two weeks.

The alert is planned to go out to approximately 225 million compatible phones across the U.S. on Wednesday at 2:18 pm ET. The message should read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The alert is expected to appear and sound similar to AMBER and severe weather alerts. But unlike those notices, there’s currently not a clear way to opt out of “presidential alerts” on smartphones.

At 2:20 pm, two minutes after the message is sent to cell phones, it’ll hit TVs and radios.

gizmodo.com, Oct. 2, 2018 - That Presidential Alert Test Will Annoy the Hell Out of You on Wednesday.

This was supposed to go out to the US on September 20th but a little hurricane called Florence put the kibosh on that plan as FEMA had to actually do their job.

They will blast your smart phones, then two minutes later, your TVs and radios.

Hum. I am not sure how I feel about this. There are always some kind of drill happening when SHTF only to be down played later. This will be nation-wide and from the President himself. With other talk on here about false flag alien invasion and what have you, how do you think this will pan out ATS?

#FakeDJTAlert ?? "I am glad to be part of National Security"?? "Get off my phone you dang kids!!"?? "I am putting my phone in a Faraday cage for a few minutes"?? "AAAALLLLLLLLIIIIEEEEENNNNZZZZZZ!!!!!!"

Feel free to reply one and all! I do not think I will be able to even come close to moderating all the reactions on this one! Plus, beer and baseball call; that old familiar sting! I will be on for the next hour so would love to see some of the responses!

Yes, it showed up on my phone and I deleted it. BFD.

We have been doing this test for years...phones are new to this years test....it is nothing more than a nation wide eas test.

I am chief engineer for 7 radio stations. You can go to fcc.gov for more info

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
This was supposed to go out to the US on September 20th but a little hurricane called Florence put the kibosh on that plan as FEMA had to actually do their job.

So a real emergency stopped an emergency test.

💥😃💥

I don't live in cell phone service range. It will show up on the next trip to a town.

a reply to: schuyler

For Immediate Release

NATIONWIDE EMERGENCY ALERT TEST PLANNED FOR OCTOBER 3; TEST MESSAGES WILL BE SENT TO CELL PHONES, TV, AND RADIO
FEMA and FCC Share Key Points About First-Ever Nationwide Wireless Alert Test,
Fourth TV and Radio Alert Test
--
WASHINGTON, October 2, 2018—FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. The WEA portion of the test, which will be sent to consumer cell phones, will begin at 2:18 p.m. EDT. The EAS portion of the test, which will be sent to radio and television, will follow at 2:20 p.m. EDT.  This will be the fourth nationwide EAS test and the first nationwide WEA test. In light of the upcoming test, the agencies share the following key informational points:

THE BASICS

· WHY: The purpose of the test is to ensure that EAS and WEA are both effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems helps to assess the operational readiness of alerting infrastructure and to identify any needed technological and administrative improvements.
· HOW: The EAS and WEA test messages will be sent using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized Internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks.
· WHO: FEMA will administer the test, in cooperation with the FCC and the National Weather Service, and with the participation of the communications industry.
· WHEN: October 3, 2018, beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT on cell phones and 2:20 p.m. EDT on TV and radio. (This is the test back-up date; the test was previously postponed due to response efforts to Hurricane Florence.)

NATIONWIDE ALERT TEST TO CELL PHONES

· THE WIRELESS ALERT TEST MESSAGE: The WEA test message will appear on consumers’ phones and read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”  Phones will display this national test using the header “Presidential Alert.”  These nationwide alerts, established pursuant to the WARN Act of 2006, are meant for use in a national emergency and are the only type of alert that can be sent simultaneously nationwide by FEMA.
· RECIPIENTS: Many members of the public will receive the WEA test message on their cell phones. Specifically, beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT, cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message. Wireless phones should receive the message only once.
· BACKGROUND ON SYSTEM: The WEA system, launched in 2012, is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. Alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governmental agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that WEA alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, WEA alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration. The national WEA test will use the same special tone and vibration. In the event of a national emergency, a Presidential WEA alert would be issued at the direction of the President and/or his/her designee, and activated by FEMA.

FCC.gov, PR.txt - FEMA, FCC Share Key Points on Nationwide Emergency Alert Test.

Your smart phone must be really smart since this is the first one!

Remember all those people in Hawaii thinking they were going to be nuked? So, yeah, it is a BFD.

Seems like a fairly sensible thing, it's just moving the old emergency broadcast idea into the smartphone age.

Not a very exciting opinion I'll admit 😊

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

This is a good thing, is always good to be ready. We have the system, we need to know if it works.

a reply to: xuenchen


"Cut the chatter! We gotta keep the airwaves clear!"

Irony of ironies, no?

Which if this is supposed to be used for national emergencies like "terrorist attacks and natural disasters" as gizmodo stated, could a real one hit while the test is happening?

If Trump starts using this to blast his dementia into everyone’s phone all the time I’m going back to a landline.

a reply to: underwerks

I hope he pushes his tweets out over it. That would drive the left insane.

originally posted by: underwerks
If Trump starts using this to blast his dementia into everyone’s phone all the time I’m going back to a landline.

Dang boy that post came in all skewed sideways

a reply to: underwerks


Or a sweet 90's style 3G flip phone!

They are only something like $50. Work great as a backup phone. Or when you get drunk and lose your iPhone... or so I have heard!

originally posted by: MRinder
a reply to: underwerks

I hope he pushes his tweets out over it. That would drive the left insane.

No need, already triggering people here :

originally posted by: underwerks
If Trump starts using this to blast his dementia into everyone’s phone all the time I’m going back to a landline.

Presidential emergency tweet races EMP blast wave to cellular phones.

Got it, got it, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't, didn't

originally posted by: Trueman

originally posted by: MRinder
a reply to: underwerks

I hope he pushes his tweets out over it. That would drive the left insane.

No need, already triggering people here :

originally posted by: underwerks
If Trump starts using this to blast his dementia into everyone’s phone all the time I’m going back to a landline.

It’s hilarious to me that people want Donald Trump to start blasting his craziness to every cell phone in America.



Seriously. What do you even say to that? If this is where we’re at America is already doomed.

skeptoid.com - Terror Attacks and Drills: Coincidence or Conspiracy?

At least they did not deny that drills do place during incidents. They point out that drills happening all the time in various places. They note several incidents where the drill "went live" including 9/11. They end stating it is a good thing people knew how to do their jobs at "NYC,... Madrid, London, Boston, Newtown and Aurora" (same source).

Not so much a coincidence anymore? And I agree, it is nice to know that in a real world response people have drilled. I for one, hope it is "only test" and does not have to "go live" because we have had enough trauma for the time being!

PS - The President cannot just hop on and send out drunken tweets! (or what ever he is thinking) They have guidelines on how the system is supposed to work interagency.

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: schuyler

Your smart phone must be really smart since this is the first one!

Remember all those people in Hawaii thinking they were going to be nuked? So, yeah, it is a BFD.

Where did I say I got it more than once? Where did you pull that tidbit from?

NO, IT IS NOT A BFD. It said TEST right on it. Why do people make mountains out of molehills? Just delete the sucker and move on. Good Lord, people!

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Sounds like something I saw on a TV show in which all criminal activities in cluding murder is legal from dusk till dawn one night a year. lol

originally posted by: schuyler
Yes, it showed up on my phone and I deleted it. BFD.

So you're special and it came to you a day earlier than the rest of the country?