Why Every American’s Phone Will Ring a Loud Alarm This Wednesday: An Urgent Notification You Can’t Ignore!

The United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Communications Commission have announced their plan to conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). This test will take place on Wednesday, October 4 at 2:20 p.m. ET.

During the test, radios and televisions will receive the EAS alert, while cellphones will receive the WEA alert. In case of severe weather or other significant events, the test may be postponed to October 11, as mentioned in the official press release by the Department of Homeland Security.

In preparation for the test, the government has been working with wireless providers and other companies to ensure the effectiveness of the systems in warning the public about national-level emergencies. While these alerts are often used for weather-related information, they also include Amber Alerts and Civil Emergency Messages related to significant threats to public safety.

So what can you expect during the test? Here’s what you need to know.

If your cellphone is turned on and within range of an active cell tower, you will receive an alarm and a text message at around 2:20 p.m. ET. The message will read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” If your phone’s main menu is set to Spanish, the message will be in Spanish as well. The alert will come with a unique tone and vibration to capture everyone’s attention, including those with disabilities. You cannot turn off the alert once received. It will last for one minute, and no action is required from you.

All radios and televisions turned on at 2:20 p.m. ET will display an emergency test alert. The alert will read, “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.” The alert will last for about a minute and will be broadcasted across participating broadcasters and providers.

This is not the first time the government has tested the emergency alert system. The EAS test on Wednesday will be the seventh since the first one in 2011. As for the WEA, this will be the second test sent out to consumer cellphones. The most recent test for both systems was conducted in 2021.

The EAS was established in 1997 to allow the president of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address all Americans within 10 minutes of an emergency. The system was created as a more effective version of the previous emergency broadcast system, CONELRAD. With the addition of WEA mobile alerts, the government has found a way to grab everyone’s attention given our collective attachment to mobile devices.