It will only be a test.
Frederick, Md (KM) On Wednesday, August 11th, a Wireless Emergency Alert and a Emergency Alert System test will be sent out by Federal Emergency Management Agency. .
The Frederick County Division of Emergency Management says the Wireless Emergency Alert will be sent to cell phone users who have agreed to have these alerts sent to their phones by text message. But it will only be a test.
The alert will sent out from cell towers beginning at 2:20 in the afternoon, and will last about a half hour. It will read “THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Wireless Alert System. No action is needed.”
The nationwide Emergency Alert System message will be broadcast on radio and television stations, and will last one minute. But that too will only be a test. The message will read as follows: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. No action is required.”
The Emergency Alert System is a national public warning system which requires broadcasters and cable television operators, wireless cable systems, satellite digital radio service providers and direct broadcast satellite providers to provide the capability for the President of the United States to address the public when a national emergency occurs. It’s also used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information, weather conditions and AMBER alerts in specified areas.
By Kevin McManus