 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern) and may last up to three and a half minutes.
On November 9, the public will hear a message indicating that "This is a test."The audio message will be the same for both radio and television.
A Nationwide EAS Test will help the federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally.
As the Federal, State, tribal, territorial and local governments prepare for and test their capabilities, this event serves as a reminder that everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kitand emergency planfor themselves, their families, communities, and businesses.
Anyone can visit www.Ready.gov for more information about how to prepare for and stay informed about what to do in the event of an actual emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions: Nationwide Emergency Alert System Test What is the Emergency Alert System (EAS)?The National-level EAS is a national public alert and warning system that enables the President of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies. Alerting authorities can leverage the State and local EAS to send alerts and warnings to radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wirelineproviders.
What is Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test ? The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA,) in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will send an EAS test message to all participating radio, television, cable, and satellite providers. What Can I Expect to Hear/See? The Test may look like regular, local EAS tests that most people are already familiar with, but there will be some differences in what viewers will see and hear. The audio message will repeat "This is a test." The video message scroll may not indicate "This is a test." The message will last for approximately three minutes and then regular programming will resume. Where Will I Hear/See the Test? On all participating radio, television, cable, and satellite providers (who are called EAS Participants). When Will the Test Occur? November 9, 2011 at 2:00 PM (Eastern). The 2:00 PM (Eastern) time was selected to make sure the Test can occur during normal business hours across many time zones. |
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First nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)posted Nov 1, 2011 10:13 AM by Officer Michael Vinciulla [ updated Nov 1, 2011 10:17 AM ] |