Posts Tagged ‘FEMA’

Be Ready For Today’s Emergency Broadcast Test

Wednesday, October 4th, 2023

At 1:20 PM CDT, the federal government will be conducting an emergency alert test.

WASHINGTON — FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.

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. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones.

This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.

For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

Consider this a public service announcement so that you don’t freak out when this happens today.

Update: Bit of a snoozer, here. Just a text message that disappeared off my phone before I could read it, no alert noise because I keep my ringer off. And I rarely have the TV or radio on, so I didn’t get those alerts either.

LinkSwarm for September 20, 2013

Friday, September 20th, 2013

Here’s a Friday LinkSwarm. I have a big piece brewing on the ObamCare battle I may or may not have out on Monday.

  • Poland seizes half of private retirement funds.
  • Republicans in the House actually manage to cut something.
  • On the other hand, if you’re a Republican congressman, and you make $172,000 a year, you don’t get to complain about it. That means you, Rep. Phil Gingrey.
  • Ted Cruz says the ObamaCare fight is just beginning.
  • Speaking of Cruz, nothing says class quite like the Communications Director of the Sacramento Democratic Party wishing for the children of a Ted Cruz staffer to die of a horrible disease. If a Republic staffer said that about Obama’s children he’d be gone faster than Domino’s could get there. (Bonus: An extra evidence to Allan Brauer’s extreme classiness, he also refers to a woman as “cumrag.”) Sacramento Democrats have taken down Brauer’s page, but you can still find it on the Wayback Machine.)
  • “Like your health care plan? Then you can keep itsuck it up and get shoved into an ObamaCare exchange by your employer.
  • The IRS scandal just keeps getting worse.
  • Congressional Budget offices says that the deficit is going to get much, much worse.
  • Biggest story you’re not hearing much about? German elections this weekend. If Angela Merkel’s party should lose, and be replaced with a party less enthused with endless PIIGS bailouts, well, things could get interesting.
  • Obama official refuses to release information pertaining to a a Freedom of Information Act request. Stonewalling the press and withholding evidence? Obviously he must be bucking for a promotion.
  • Obama Express busted for paying cash for food stamps.
  • FEMA grounds UAVs, preventing them from providing mapping of Colorado flood victims for free.
  • Mainly read this Ann Althouse piece on “lean-in” circles for the catty comments.

  • Amarillo restaurant closes, evidently pens insulting message to patrons?
  • Remember China’s “Ghost Cities”? They’re bigger, and emptier, than ever:

  • LinkSwarm for November 6, 2012 (Election Day!)

    Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

    Today’s the day! Get out there and vote!

  • Politician says FEMA’s response to Sandy is as incompetent as it was to Katrina. But what does Rudy Giuliani know about managing New York City in a crisis?
  • Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus doesn’t seem wild about conservatives. Go figure.
  • Sheldon Anderson on how the Democratic Party left him. “When you look at states where Democrats have enjoyed years of one-party dominance-California, Illinois, New York-you find that their liberal policies simply don’t deliver on their promises of social justice.”
  • When Obama took office unemployment was 12.7% for blacks. Now it’s 14.3%.
  • NAACP decides that Texas election laws are for other people.
  • Obama to Texas: Die In a Fire

    Thursday, May 5th, 2011

    “On Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rejected Perry’s request to declare Texas a federal disaster area.”

    In other news, Obama will be in Austin and El Paso next Tuesday. Perhaps those affected by the wildfires might make their feelings on the subject known to President Obama…