Here is Why Every Cell Phone in Indiana and Kentucky Will Go Off at the Same Time on October 4th
A Nationwide Emergency Alert Test will be conducted in October, here's why the FCC and FEMA are planning this event.
Emergency Alerts Via Cell Phones
While public emergency alerts are not new, emergency alerts going straight to our cell phones is a fairly new technology. The Wireless Emergency Alerts system has been around since 2012, so it's just a little more than 10 years old.
This is the alert system responsible for making all of our phones make the super loud alert tone at the same time when we're out in public or in the office. And while it can be jarring to hear all of our phones go off at once, there is a good reason for these alerts. The WEA is an easy way for people to be alerted about regional emergencies.
The Wireless Emergency Alerts system is an essential part of America's emergency preparedness. Since its launch in 2012, the WEA system has been used more than 78,000 times to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations – all through alerts on compatible cell phones and other mobile devices.
WEA is a public safety system that allows customers who own compatible mobile devices to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area.
A Nationwide Test to be Conducted on October 4th
FEMA and the FCC recently put out a press release to prepare everyone for tests of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). On Wednesday, October 4th at 2:20 PM Eastern Time, every cell phone in the U.S. will have a test alert sent at the same time. The alert that pops up on your cell phone will say "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."
It's good to be prepared for this event, just because if you've ever been in public with the WEA has gone off, it's really a bit jarring how loud the alerts can be when it's everyone's phones at the same time.
Not only will phones be going off with test alerts at this time, but so will radio and television broadcasts as well to test the EAS. This will be the 7th time a national EAS test has been conducted and the 2nd time a national WEA test has been conducted.
Why Nationwide Tests?
The reason is the make sure that in the event of an actual national emergency, these emergency alerts are in working order. FEMA says:
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.
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