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If you’ve got a cell phone, the federal government will send it a text late tomorrow morning, but it will be a test, it will only be a test.
It’ll be part of Wednesday’s integrated public alert warning system testing by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Testing in collaboration with the Federal Communications Commission had been originally planned for Sept. 20, but officials delayed it in order to focus on relief efforts for East Coast areas affected by Hurricane Florence.
Technically, it will be a test of two systems: wireless emergency alerts, to be sent out at 11:18 a.m. PDT, and the emergency alert system, which will arrive two minutes later at 11:20 a.m. PDT, to “assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.”
Wednesday’s test, which should see cell phone towers broadcast a text message for 30 minutes to phones connected to participating wireless providers, will be the first for the wireless emergency alert system.
That text message’s header should say “Presidential Alert,” and the accompanying text should read “This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” Not all phones will get the text message, officials said.
Moments later, the emergency alert system will follow with a one-minute alert that should look and sound much like monthly tests appearing on broadcast outlets like radio and television stations, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and more.
Wednesday’s alert system for those outlets will be the fourth nationwide test, following previous tests in November 2011, September 2016 and September 2017.
On October 3, 2018 at approximately 2:20 p.m. EDT, 11:20 a.m. PDT, @FEMA is testing the capabilities of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, also known as IPAWS. Learn more from @FEMA_Brock. #ThisIsATest@AzEIN @Cal_OES @cnmihsem @Hawaii_EMA @NVEmergencyMgmt pic.twitter.com/K4Tq075sXA
— FEMA Region 9 (@femaregion9) October 2, 2018
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
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