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If your phone, television, or radio makes an alarming sound tomorrow around 2:20 p.m. ET Wednesday, don’t panic. It’s only a test, part of the national public alert and warning system being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
During this test, nearly all smartphones connected to a cellular network will receive a message accompanied by an alert sound and vibration. The message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is required.”
The purpose of these tests is to ensure that the U.S. government can effectively communicate important messages to the public during emergencies. In accordance with a 2015 law, FEMA is required to conduct a nationwide test every three years.
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell emphasized the importance of keeping the public informed during critical situations in a brief video.
Television and radio stations will also broadcast the same message simultaneously. This marks the third nationwide test of the alert system, with the previous one taking place in August 2021. In addition, the U.S. president has the capability to send messages through the same system, which was tested in 2018.
It’s worth noting that the alert sound cannot be disabled on smartphones if they are turned on. Although settings exist on iPhones and most Android devices to opt out of specific government alerts like Amber alerts, users cannot opt out of this particular test, as stated by FEMA.
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