National Mobile Phone Alert Test Scheduled for Oct. 3

DEM Blogger

September 10, 2018

Note: Due to Hurricane Florence response and recovery activities, the mobile phone alert test has been rescheduled to October 3.  This story has been revised to reflect the new date.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be taking over all cell phones and airwaves in the United States on October 3 to “test” the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. At 2:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), FEMA will send a WEA test message to WEA-capable wireless devices throughout the entire United States and territories.

All wireless providers that have elected to participate in WEA are required to participate in this nationwide test. FEMA indicates that the test will use the Presidential Alert classification. Immediately following the WEA nationwide end-to-end test, at 2:20 p.m. EDT, FEMA will conduct a live test of the EAS. All EAS Participants are required to participate in this nationwide test.

More from FEMA about the WEA test.

NOTE: ALL CELL PHONES THAT ARE WEA-ENABLED WILL ALERT WITH THIS TEST. PHONE OWNERS CANNOT DISABLE A PRESIDENTIAL ALERT.

Members of the public and interested stakeholder organizations that are in a position to observe test results in their communities to provide feedback on the test, including any problems observed or any other complications in the delivery of the WEA or EAS test message during the nationwide test, by reporting their observations to the Public Safety Support Center.