The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and FEMA are readying the next nationwide combined test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and EAS.
It is planned for September 20, with a back-up date of October 3.
At 2:18pm Eastern FEMA will send a WEA test message to WEA-capable wireless devices throughout the entire United States and territories.
All wireless providers that have elected to participate in WEA are required to participate in this nationwide test.
The WEA test message will state: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Immediately following the WEA nationwide end-to-end test, at 2:20 pm Eastern, FEMA will
conduct a live test of the EAS.
All EAS Participants are required to participate in this nationwide test.
The following EAS message will be disseminated via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS):
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. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones in the nation. Some cell phones will receive the message. Others will not. No action is required.
The EAS alert will be transmitted in English and Spanish and include both audio and the text of the test message, which can be used to populate an accessible video crawl.
EAS Participants are reminded that they are required to register with the EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) and must complete the filing of ETRS Form One on or before August 27.
On or before 11:59pm Eastern on September 20, EAS Participants must file the “day of test” information sought by ETRS Form Two.
On or before November 5, EAS Participants must file the detailed post-test data sought by ETRS Form Three.
