Nationwide Alert Still Set For Tomorrow

Emergency warning alert alarm on Smartphone, Data network protection, Virus alarm.

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A nationwide test of the emergency and wireless alert systems is still scheduled for 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, which will feature a message sent to all cellphones, TVs, and radios. The test is a joint operation between FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission to “ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.”

While each cellphone will only receive the message once, the signal will be transmitted for 30 minutes to ensure that people who don’t have a cellphone signal while traveling will have the chance to receive the message when their signal returns. Legislation was passed in 2015 to mandate that FEMA carry out national tests of the system every three years. While the systems are mostly used to warn of severe weather, they can also be activated to send alerts from the U.S. president or FEMA.

Source: NBC News


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