A nationwide test of emergency alerts to cellphones is set to begin this afternoon.
The test, managed by FEMA and the FCC, is set to happen at about 1:20 p.m. today, according to a press release. During a 30-minute window, wireless providers will send a message to cellphones in range of active towers. Users should receive only a single message. The test will also be sent through radio and TV signals.
Customers should receive a message that says, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” Phones should ring and/or vibrate when the message is received.
Wireless providers will broadcast the test for about 30 minutes, according to the release. A device that is active and within range of a tower should receive the message.
This is the second time the agencies have sent a nationwide test to all cellular devices, according to the release. It is sent using the Wireless Emergency Alerts program.
Such messages are usually about 360 characters or fewer, and intended to alert people to important information. Usually, these messages are released in targeted areas for situations such as weather-related hazards, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The cellphone test will be accompanied by a similar test through the Emergency Alert System. TV and radio customers will see similar messages.
Government agencies hope to ensure emergency notification systems continue to work in preparation for national-level events.
Conspiracy theories, advice for domestic violence victims
The test, announced in August, has generated conversation over the last two months, from conspiracy theories to advice for victims of domestic violence.
The Associated Press debunked conspiracy theories shared across social networks that the test is part of a plot to activate nanoparticles that have been introduced into people’s bodies through COVID vaccines. Experts in health and technology fields have dismissed those claims.
However, non-profits and other groups that assist victims of domestic violence have encouraged people who keep an emergency phone to turn it off throughout the 30-minute testing window. The sound and vibration accompanying the message can reveal the location of a hidden phone — victim advocates recommend turning the device off completely.
