An emergency alert message can save a life. Considering the significance of maintaining communication during dire emergencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a national emergency alert test in association with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The trial, scheduled on October 4, also invited a myriad of speculations and conspiracy theories.
Among the many theories, one suggests that the drill is organized as a simulation of an actual impending crisis, implying that the government is conducting the test to consolidate control over the people.
Meanwhile, some people believe that the collective transmission through towers on cellular, radio, and TV media could yield catastrophic health hazards. These estimations created a panic on X (Twitter) as “October 4” was trending online.
However, FEMA reassured people that this is a periodic alert test as these were arranged six times before. The October 4th test is the second time for checking the reception efficiency of emergency alert messages on cellular devices.
Today at 2:20 p.m., a collective text was sent on all cellphones: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” This message was sent to check whether the transmission works well across the nation. These tests ensure everyone is well-connected during national emergencies, amber alerts, natural calamities, mass shootings, and more.
Read along for complete details on what happened on October 4, 2023.
What Happened Today at 2:20 p.m.?
White House Press Secretary Karien Jean-Pierre was briefing the media about the Ukraine aid when she was interrupted by buzzing phones at around 2:18 p.m. in the White House briefing room. That was the first time an emergency alert test notification was sent across all cellulars nationwide.
Besides the message, TV and Radio broadcasted the following message at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time throughout the country.
Antwane Johnson, acting deputy assistant administrator for FEMA’s National Continuity Programs Directorate, stated that–
“The test went extremely well.”
“Every phone lit up in the room.”
What Did the Emergency Alert Say?
The following message was sent to all cellular phones, lasting for about a minute.
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
TV and Radio stations broadcast the message that the test will take place in a window of 30 minutes and there is no action required–
“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
Will Airplane Mode Block Emergency Alerts? Can I Turn My Phone Off During the Emergency Alert?
If you set your phone on airplane mode or Wi-Fi, you will not receive the emergency alert message since it relies on a cellular broadcast system.
And you wouldn’t have received the message if you turned your phone off during the emergency alert. Some theorists have recommended turning off the phone because the frequency could have caused severe health hazards.
However, these claims were debunked, considering such low-frequency signals pose zero health risks.
Why the Nationwide Alert?
The nationwide alert test was organized to ensure that the authorities and civilians are in tandem during national emergencies and maintain transparency while avoiding spreading misinformation.
These emergency alerts will also help the victims of kidnapping, domestic violence, and other micro-level crimes.
Mr. Johnson elaborates on the significance of these tests, stating–
“I understand that some folks may consider them an inconvenience or maybe a minor annoyance, but the whole point of these tests is to ensure that people are able to be reached when there’s an emergency, so they can protect themselves and their family.”
“If you turned off your device or you turn off your notifications, you would never see the alert today.”
“We hope that you turn those back on in the event that there is a flooding event next week or you find yourself in the middle of America as a tornado threatens or another weather alert or there is an Amber Alert in your area.”
How was your experience with the national emergency test? Do you think that there is a conspiracy behind this test? Let us know in the comments section below.
