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

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests will begin at 2:20 p.m. ET (11:20 a.m. in Arizona) on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

The Wireless Emergency Alert portion of the test will be directed only to consumer cell phones where the subscriber has opted-in to receive test messages. This will be the second nationwide WEA test, but the first nationwide WEA test on a consumer opt-in basis. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The Emergency Alert System portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. Previous nationwide EAS tests were conducted in 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The nationwide test will provide FEMA with valuable information on the effectiveness of sending emergency warnings via the public alert and warning system in the event of disaster. IPAWS integrates access to the EAS, WEA, and other communications means for delivery of alerts to people from national, state, local, tribal and territorial authorities.

Successful alerting requires using multiple channels to ensure the largest portion of the public possible receives the alert message. Nationwide EAS and WEA testing helps FEMA and industry participants to maintain and improve alert and warning capabilities at the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels and to evaluate the nation’s public alert and warning capabilities.