Officials testing emergency broadcast, wireless alert system today
(Stock image, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
Federal and local officials will conduct a test of two emergency notification systems on Wednesday.
The test involves the Emergency Alert System for local television and radio stations along with some cable television providers, and the Wireless Emergency Alerts system for subscribers of most wireless phone providers.
The test is scheduled to take place between 11:20 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. local time, and will likely interrupt programming on local radio and television stations with an emergency message in English or Spanish, federal officials said.
Around the same time, smartphones and tablets connected to a cellular network may display a similar emergency alert message within the same 30-minute time frame. Phones and tablets will only display the message if a user has opted-in to receive them, federal officials said.
Any message sent over television, radio or to mobile devices will make clear that the transmission is just a test.
The tests will help ensure that emergency notification methods are working as intended, so they can be relied upon during an actual local or national emergency.
For more information on the emergency notification tests, click or tap here.
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