The first simultaneous, nationwide multimedia test of the federal Emergency Alert System is schedule for 1 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, Nov. 9. The test will last up to three and a half minutes.
An audio message, “This is a test,” will be broadcast for the first time in the United States and its territories simultaneously on radio, satellite radio, television, cable stations and wire line providers. This is the first test of a nationwide emergency alert on all media.
Individuals who are not aware of the test may perceive it as an actual emergency message, so it is important to make the public aware of the test well ahead of the testing period.
The federal agencies helping to conduct this first-of-its-kind multimedia test are the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This national alert and warning system was set up to enable the president of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies.
The nationwide test is similar to local EAS tests that have been conducted for many years to test the operation of local emergency alert systems. These local EAS tests typically last less than one minute and do not occur on all media simultaneously.
FEMA, the FCC and other federal partners, along with state, local, tribal and territorial governments, have been working to coordinate the nationwide test for two years as part of the nation’s ongoing emergency preparedness planning efforts.
Find out how to stay informed during an actual emergency at http://www.ready.gov
Read tips on what to do in the event of an emergency at http://www.fema.gov
For more Information Regarding the EAS National Test visit
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
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