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A nationwide test of the emergency and wireless alert systems will be conducted Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. ET, when a message will be sent to all cellphones, TVs and radios.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a news release in August that a message that reads, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed,” will be sent to all phones. A Spanish version of the message will be displayed depending on the language settings of the devices.
A separate message will be sent to radios and televisions, saying, “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 FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission, meant to “ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” according to the August news release.
The systems are primarily used to send notifications about severe weather or other safety threats and Amber Alerts. The system can also be activated to send alerts from the U.S. president or FEMA.
To ensure broad accessibility, including for individuals with disabilities, these alerts are accompanied by a distinctive tone and vibration signal.
The national test consists of two sections. One is the Wireless Emergency Alerts, which will direct text messages to all consumer cellphones that are on and within range of an active cell tower from a participating wireless provider. While the test will be transmitted for 30 minutes, all phones will only receive the message once.
The WEA segment of the test will be activated through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. IPAWS is a centralized internet-based system overseen by FEMA, allowing authorities to disseminate verified emergency messages to the public across various communication networks.
The second part of the test is the Emergency Alert System, which will send test messages to all radios and televisions. The scheduled test will last approximately one minute.
Legislation enacted in 2015 mandates that FEMA carry out nationwide tests of IPAWS every three years. This is the third nationwide WEA test and the seventh nationwide EAS test.
Huiling Zhou is an intern on NBC News Digital's tech desk.
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