Millions of cell phones will beep, chirp and vibrate at exactly 1:18 p.m. today, according to a FEMA announcement.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is conducting a nationwide test of its Wireless Emergency Alerts, similar to the ones conducted on radio and television. In fact, radio and TV will start broadcasting similar messages as part of its Emergency Alert System at precisely 1:20 p.m.
“The purpose of the test is to ensure that EAS and WEA are both effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level,” FEMA announced in a statement. Testing of public alert and warning systems helps to assess the operational readiness of alerting infrastructure and to identify any needed technological and administrative improvements.
Cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes.
This will be the first national test of the cell phone alerts. The system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children and other critical situations while also providing the president with the capability to address the nation during a national emergency.
