FYI: Nationwide cell-phone alert test Wednesday morning. TV, radio, cable too

| Preparedness | West Seattle news

Right about this time Wednesday morning (11:20 am our time on October 4), your cell phone will likely go off with one of those shrieking alert tones you’ve heard after Amber Alerts. It’s a nationwide warning-system test that you might already have heard about since it was announced in August – we’re mentioning it today just in case you haven’t. The test is explained in detail here. In short, at or shortly after 11:20 am Wednesday, your phone should receive the alert – just once – and the screen will show, ““THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” Around the same time, radio, TV, and cable systems will broadcast a similar emergency message. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission are teaming up on this and summarized in the announcement: “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.”

Cat Mom October 2, 2023 (11:32 am)

The headline says Wednesday, but the article says “In short, at or shortly after 11:20 am THURSDAY, your phone should receive the alert – just once – and the screen will show, ““THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System.”

WSB October 2, 2023 (12:16 pm)

Sorry. It’s Wednesday.

N. October 2, 2023 (5:32 pm)

Very important for those in domestic violence situations to know about this in case they have a hidden phone to keep in touch with family or emergency’s. . I used to be on the receiving end of those burner phone calls with a dear friend in constant fear and trying to leave.

Mike October 3, 2023 (8:15 am)

“Experts advise people at risk for domestic violence who keep a hidden safety phone at home to switch that phone off during FEMA’s Oct. 4, 2023, nationwide test of the National Emergency Alert system so the phone’s existence isn’t inadvertently revealed to an abuser.”Don’t just turn off alerts, but turn off phone completely.

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