If you happen to hear an alarming alert on your cellphone, along with everyone else’s, this Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 11:20 a.m. or shortly after, no need to panic.
The federal government has announced a nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The purpose is to ensure that these systems continue to effectively warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on a national level. The test is being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Federal Communication Commission, as stated in their press release.
How will this test affect you?
Starting around 11:20 a.m., all wireless phones should receive an alert and an accompanying text message stating, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The text message will be sent in either English or Spanish, depending on your device’s language settings. It will also include a unique tone and vibration to ensure accessibility for everyone, including individuals with disabilities, according to FEMA.
The test will be broadcasted through cell towers for approximately 30 minutes, starting at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time. During this time, all compatible wireless phones that are switched on and within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless providers participate in the test, should receive the text message.
Simultaneously, radios and televisions will also broadcast a test emergency alert. The message will run for about a minute and state, “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States. … This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
Has this test happened before?
This upcoming test will be the seventh-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System used for radio and television broadcasters. It will be the third nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts, but only the second to be sent to consumer cellular devices.
The most recent test of both systems occurred in 2021. The very first test of the Emergency Alert System took place over a decade ago in 2011, as reported by CNN.
Hasn’t there been mistakes in the past?
Indeed, there have been multiple high-profile mistakes associated with mobile emergency alert systems that were sent to cellphones and attributed to errors at the state level.
One of the most notorious incidents was the false missile alert in Hawaii in 2018, as reported by CNN. It caused a brief period of panic across the state when a Hawaii state emergency management worker accidentally pushed the wrong button, sending out a false warning of an incoming ballistic-missile threat. The employee responsible for the mishap was subsequently fired by state officials.
Earlier this year in Florida, state emergency management officials apologized after Floridians were disturbed by a test emergency alert sent to their phones at 4:45 a.m. State officials clarified that the test alert was intended to be displayed only on TV and should not have disturbed individuals who were sleeping. Florida also decided to terminate its contract with the software company responsible for the premature test alert on cellphones.
Last year, a FEMA official informed CNN that vulnerabilities in the software used by TV and radio networks to transmit emergency alerts could potentially allow hackers to broadcast fake messages through the alert system. In response, the agency advised operators of these devices to update their software to address the issue. The advisory did not mention any potential impact on alerts sent via text messages. The official also stated that there is no evidence of malicious hackers exploiting these vulnerabilities at the time.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
