FEMA test to put "presidential alert" on 75% of US cell phones, according to the agency

Three-quarters of the country's mobile phones are expected to post a "presidential alert" during an inaugural test of a national notification system next month, a senior official from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Friday.

Journalists update during a conference call, a FEMA official said the October 3 test of the government's wireless emergency alert system (WEA) is expected to result in "almost all phones in the country.

"There are problems or challenges, and we know there are some anomalies in the network depending on the configuration of the devices. We expect that more than 75% of phones will receive and display the message, "says FEMA. Official told reporters on the merits, which means that their comments are not attributable to anyone in particular.

Previously scheduled for Thursday, September 20, the test will involve the country's largest cellular network providers to send a presidential alert to be displayed on every phone within reading range: "THIS IS A TEST of the Emergency Alert System national wireless. No action is necessary. "

Presidential alerts are one of three types of notifications that can be sent to phones via the WEA system, as well as Amber alerts for missing children and alerts of impending threats such as extreme weather and shootings, said a FEMA official.

Unlike the other two types of notifications, presidential alerts will be sent simultaneously to phones across the country and can not be removed, according to FEMA.

"If the nation was attacked, then this system could be used to inform the public," said the official, citing examples such as launching a missile or coordinated terrorist attacks in several cities.

"If there was a public danger and the president or his representative had determined that the public should be informed of these events, it could trigger the activation of our national alert capabilities," he said. said the manager.

FEMA referred to the White House when it was asked which officials would be appointed to send presidential alerts. The White House did not immediately return a message requesting a comment.

According to the Pew Research Center, 95% of Americans own a mobile phone from 2018, placing the test next month on more than 200 million devices.