When is the big emergency alert test? Expect your phone to ominously blare Wednesday.

[DancesWithWife]

On Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. Eastern, 1:20 p.m. Central, 12:20 p.m. Mountain and 11:20 a.m. Pacific time, every TV, radio and cellphone in the United States should blare out the distinctive, jarring electronic warning tone of an emergency alert.

No need to worry. It's simply the Nationwide Emergency Alert Test. The massive national trial, the first since 2018, is scheduled to last approximately one minute.

It will only go out once, there will be no repeats.

This is for the United States.

 

Posted 10/3/2023 

 

Test will be on 10/4/2023

[Tortuga]

I'm good, as long as they don't flash my picture at the end of the test 😳

[DancesWithWife]

10 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

don't flash my picture at the end of the test

 

[Dustparticle]

THE END IS HERE!!!

[Dages]

In France, every first wednesday, we have such warning as an alarm that is blarring in the streets. Like a bombing alert from WW2,  uuuUUUuuuUUuuu 
There are always people who are panicked because they forget it's the first wednesday of the month  

[Parale]

15 hours ago, DancesWithWife said:

On Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. Eastern, 1:20 p.m. Central, 12:20 p.m. Mountain and 11:20 a.m. Pacific time, every TV, radio and cellphone in the United States should blare out the distinctive, jarring electronic warning tone of an emergency alert.

 

 

How to block the emergency alert test

 

To avoid the alert, you can:

• Turn off your cellphone.
• Put your phone on airplane mode.
• Use WiFi only.

According to FEMA, cellphones that are turned off for the entire 30-minute test period should not receive the alert message once it's turned back on.

 

https://cincinnati.com/story/news/2023/10/03/how-to-block-emergency-alert-test/71042698007/

 

 

[DancesWithWife]

43 minutes ago, Parale said:

To avoid the alert, you can:

It seems easier just to know it's coming. 

[Tortuga]

Just now, DancesWithWife said:

It seems easier just to know it's coming. 

I'm glad they are doing a test. I want to know that my devices will receive emergency notifications. We are reminded to use soundness of mind and prepare for emergencies and ensuring my devices can receive a governmental emergency notification is part of preparing for emergency.

[BLEmom]

Are these from the federal government?  If so would these alerts be more used for terror levels?  We already get local alerts for weather and Amber alerts…

[Tortuga]

2 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Are these from the federal government?  If so would these alerts be more used for terror levels?  We already get local alerts for weather and Amber alerts…

The message will read: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

[DancesWithWife]

11 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Are these from the federal government?

The US Federal Communications Commission and Federal Emergency Management Agency are trialing their US-wide emergency alert systems on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

[BLEmom]

Thank you. Neither one of you answered my question though 😂

 

So I found this:

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11. 
 

 

So it would be widespread disaster situations like weather or maybe like when they had to shut down US airspace on 9/11

[Tortuga]

12 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Neither one of you answered my question though

So...the answers were right, that means the question was wrong..

Edited October 4, 2023 by Tortuga

[BLEmom]

6 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

So...the answers were right, that means the question was wrong..

Haha probably!

I was just trying to figure out how this would be different from what we already get. Seems we get weather or Amber alerts on a regular basis. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Qapla]

It seems this is a national alert using the same system that local alerts are given - just that they are sending it to all parts of the country at once. According to FEMA, "WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration. "

 

This alert can be avoided by turning the phone off or setting it to airplane mode - when turned back on the alert will not sound.

 

This seems to differ from a "Presidential/National Alert" that cannot be disabled - we have not had one of those (like a declaration of war or Imminent threat) - seems this type of alert may sound once the phone is turned back on ... unlike the test today that will not sound if the phone is set not to receive it.

 

 

[Tortuga]

42 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

Haha probably!

I was just trying to figure out how this would be different from what we already get. Seems we get weather or Amber alerts on a regular basis. 🤷🏻‍♀️

My assumption was that it is being tested on a nationwide level but could be used in selected areas, so it wont be used just for nationwide emergencies. The information John provided from FEMA seems to confirm that. So its a unified notification system. I don't know if the local notifications that you currently receive are part of a unified government notification system.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Tortuga

[Parale]

2 hours ago, Tortuga said:

I'm glad they are doing a test. I want to know that my devices will receive emergency notifications. We are reminded to use soundness of mind and prepare for emergencies and ensuring my devices can receive a governmental emergency notification is part of preparing for emergency.

 

The article I linked too highlighted the following webpage:

 

https://www.techsafety.org/blog/2023/9/28/emergency-alerts-and-hidden-devices

[Android89]

Sigh my Dad heard from somewhere that it is a conspiracy theory and that it will transmit a new strain of COVID or something crazy like that. 
 

He wants me and my mom to turn of our TV’s and my mom will put the phones in the garage so we are away from it. My mom doesn’t believe it I don’t think but we are just going along with it. 

[Qapla]

"Just going along with it" would seem to just feed the conspiracy theories and add credibility to them in the minds of those who dream them up, believe them and go along with them.

 

There are alerts using this system when children are missing, seniors get lost and weather is expected to cause destruction - not to mention the routine tests of the system on cable, TV and radio.

 

Personally, in keeping with the FDS admonitions and warnings about "fake news" and neutrality, I will not fall victim to such theories and "go along", indicating that I believe or support them.

 

[Qapla]

Just received the National Alert - had a simple "OK" to dismiss it

 

[trottigy]

2 minutes ago, Qapla said:

Just received the National Alert - had a simple "OK" to dismiss it

 

 

OK, but now you need a COVID test!!! 

 

 

 

[computerwiz]

31 minutes ago, Android89 said:

Sigh my Dad heard from somewhere that it is a conspiracy theory and that it will transmit a new strain of COVID or something crazy like that.

 

Does he know how viruses work?  How phones work?  🤯

 

That's one of the craziest ones I've heard thus far.....

 

[tekmantwo]

7 minutes ago, computerwiz said:

That's one of the craziest ones I've heard thus far.....

Oh yeah, how about the one where the alert will transmit a subliminal vibration that will turn people into unthinking pawns of the government?

[Dages]

Maybe these will be used during the GT... "Hunt down the JWs, good rewards" 

[Tortuga]

7 minutes ago, tekmantwo said:

Oh yeah, how about the one where the alert will transmit a subliminal vibration that will turn people into unthinking pawns of the government?

I think its hilarious that people think the government could control them, the government can't even control itself!