The Office of Strategic Communications is sharing the following information for awareness, as this event has the potential to temporarily disrupt the learning environment.

Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. this Wednesday, October 4, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The purpose of the test is to ensure that these systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.

• The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. 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. All wireless phones should receive the following message only once: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
• The Emergency Alert System (EAS) portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. The test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and wireline video providers.

For more details, please see FEMA’s August 3 press release. Also, please note: If the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the test will take place on Oct. 11.