National Emergency Alert System Test Planned

By Andrew Gorosko

To thoroughly test the national Emergency Alert System (EAS), federal officials will conduct a full-scale test of the system at 2 pm eastern standard time on Wednesday, November 9.

The full test is being sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The test, which will be simultaneously broadcast on all television stations and all radio stations in the United States, may last up to three and a half minutes (210 seconds). The test also will be distributed via cable television, satellite radio, satellite television, and wireline video services. The test message also will be sent to Puerto Rico, the US Virgin islands, and American Samoa.

The EAS is a national alert and warning system designed to enable the US president to address the public during emergencies

The test will start with a message clearly stating, “This is a test.”

Maureen Will, town director of emergency communications, said the test will provide federal officials with information regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the EAS.

“We don’t want to scare people. We want them to be aware,” Ms Will said of the upcoming test.

Besides its use for national emergencies, the EAS is used by the National Weather Service to issue weather alerts and also by state and local officials to issue alerts affecting smaller geographic areas.

Ms Will said the EAS may be used to publicize terrorist threats, severe weather situations, and biological and/or radiological threats.

By publicizing the upcoming test, officials hope that the event will not generate Emergency 911 telephone calls from residents unaware that a test is underway, Ms Will said.

The test’s audio for both the radio and television broadcasts will be the same.

The EAS is designed to help save lives and protect property in the event of emergencies. The EAS has never been activated on a national scale. The test has been in the planning stages for two years.

People interested in learning about how to prepare for and stay informed about what to do in an actual emergency may get information on the topic on the Internet at www.Ready.gov