NEWS RELEASE: Nationwide Test of Wireless Emergency Alerts Provides Critical Evaluation of Emergency Message Distribution
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency
DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR
MAJOR GENERAL KENNETH S. HARA
DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
LUKE P. MEYERS
ADMINISTRATOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Nationwide Test of Wireless Emergency Alerts Provides Critical Evaluation of Emergency Message Distribution
Honolulu – This is a test; this is only a test. But what happens when it’s not just a test?
From AMBER – or MAILE – Alerts, to severe weather warnings, consumer cell phone users, as well as television viewers and radio listeners, are likely familiar with alert and warning messages sent to their devices. Whether on a local, state, or national level, these messages are used to enhance public safety, providing important public information in times of emergencies.
To that end, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct a nationwide test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), including the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. Both tests will begin at 8:20 a.m. HST.
The Wireless Emergency Alert portion of the test will be directed to consumer cell phones who have opted-in to receive test messages. iPhone users can opt-in by going to “Settings” then “Notifications,” where at the bottom they will find options for AMBER Alerts, Emergency Alerts, and Public Safety Alerts. Android users can find these settings in the default messenger app.
The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the cell phone, a press release from FEMA said.
Consumer cellular users who have opted-in to test messages will see the following message on their phones:
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed,” or “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
The message will occur only once.
To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts will be accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.
The Emergency Alert System portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. The message will last approximately one minute and will occur only once.
Listeners and viewers will hear or see the following message:
“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. No action is required.”
The purpose of the August 11 test is to ensure that the EAS and WEA systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.
“(The test) help(s) ensure that under all conditions the President and, except to the extent the public alert and warning system is in use by the President, Federal agencies and state, tribal, and local governments can alert and warn the civilian population in areas endangered by natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters or threats to public safety,” a spokesperson from FEMA said.
Periodic 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.
“They test the system, and if elements don’t work, they identify what needs to be corrected,” Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency Assistant Emergency Management Telecoms Officer Ryan Hirae said of the value of the test.
Hirae stressed the importance of evaluating the systems’ capabilities, not just on a national level, but for statewide and local emergencies, including to disseminate severe weather-related information or to help safely recover a child in the event of an abduction.
FEMA invites members of the public who receive either the WEA message to provide feedback by taking a brief survey.
If the August 11 test is canceled due to significant events, including widespread severe weather or other incidents, a back-up testing date has been set for Aug. 25, 2021.
More information about the nationwide test can be found here.
Event details
What: Nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 8:20 a.m. HST.
Where: Television, radio, and opted-in cellular devices.
For latest information the HI-EMA go to: https://www.ready.hawaii.gov
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Contact:
Douglas Carroll
Public Information Officer
[email protected]
808-285-1516
Hollie Reina
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
808-620-5423