Test Date and Time: The nationwide test of the emergency and wireless alert systems is scheduled for Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
The test message will be sent to all cellphones, televisions, and radios across the United States.
A message reading, "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed," will be sent to all cellphones. A Spanish version of the message will be displayed based on the language settings of the devices.
Radios and televisions will receive a separate message stating, "This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public."
The test is a joint operation between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The primary goal of this test is to ensure the effectiveness of the emergency alert systems in warning the public about national-level emergencies. This includes severe weather, safety threats, Amber Alerts, and messages from the U.S. president or FEMA.
The alerts are designed to be accessible to individuals with disabilities and include distinctive tones and vibration signals.
The nationwide test consists of two sections. The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will send text messages to all compatible cellphones. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) will send test messages to radios and televisions.
Legislation enacted in 2015 mandates that FEMA conduct nationwide tests of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) every three years. This is the third nationwide WEA test and the seventh nationwide EAS test.