Your mobile phone will receive an emergency alert late Wednesday morning in California, part of a series of nationwide tests of emergency alert systems.
FEMASmartphones and televisions across California emitted a screech on Wednesday around 11:20 a.m. as federal officials conducted a nationwide test of their Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts as part of their annual effort to ensure that the emergency systems are working properly, FEMA said.
The Wireless Emergency Alerts go to mobile phones, while the Emergency Alert System portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions.
Mobile phone users whose phones are on and within range of an active cell tower should have received the national test, called the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
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While wireless providers will transmit the test for 30 minutes, your phone should receive the alert just once and it should last only seconds, according to federal officials. An accompanying text message on your phone will say, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
If a person is on the phone at the time of the test, it will not interrupt a call.
The radio and television alert will be a one-minute test, officials said. It will read, “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.”
All major U.S. wireless providers participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts and will transmit the national test to their subscribers, according to a statement from FEMA. Legislation passed in 2015 mandates that FEMA conducts nationwide IPAWS tests every three years; the most recent test was in 2021.
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Reach Annie Vainshtein: [email protected]
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Annie is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. She previously was a digital producer for The Chronicle’s Datebook section. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2017 with a degree in journalism. During her time there, she spearheaded a culture column, produced radio pieces for NPR-affiliate station KCBX, and was a DJ and writer for KCPR, the campus radio station. Before joining the Chronicle, she was an associate producer at SFGATE and interned at VICE and Flood Magazine. She’s particularly interested in communities and scenes that are often misunderstood.
She can be reached at [email protected].
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