“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”
UPDATED September 18, 2018:
The emergency alert tests have been rescheduled for October 3, 2018.
Links to Public Notice Announcing the Rescheduled Emergency Alert Tests:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/nationwide-alerting-test-rescheduled-oct-3…
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-955A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-955A1.txt
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system and a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on September 20, 2018, with an alternate test date of October 3, 2018.
Both EAS and WEA test messages will start with “THIS IS A TEST” and end with “No action is needed.”
- WEA test: The WEA test will be sent to all WEA-capable wireless devices at 2:18 p.m. EDT. WEA alerts are required to be accessible to people with disabilities in accordance with FCC rules. WEA alerts must be accompanied by a common vibration cadence and a common audio attention signal.
- EAS test: The EAS test will be sent by radio stations, television stations, cable and satellite systems, and others at 2:20 p.m. EDT. EAS alerts must be accessible to people with disabilities in accordance with FCC rules. The visual message portion of an EAS alert, whether video crawl or block text, must be displayed:
- at the top of the television screen or where it will not interfere with other visual messages;
- in a manner (i.e., font size, color, contrast, location, and speed) that is readily readable and understandable;
- in a manner that does not contain overlapping lines of EAS text or extend beyond the viewable display (except for video crawls that intentionally scroll on and off the screen); and
- in full at least once during any EAS message.
The audio portion of an EAS message must play in full at least once during any EAS message.
FEMA’s public service announcement about the emergency alert tests – at https://youtu.be/ykyAzuHKrY0 – is captioned and presented in American Sign Language (ASL).
Links to Public Notice Announcing the Planned Emergency Alert Tests:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/pshsb-reminds-eas-participants-2018-nationwide-eas-test-deadlines
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-880A1.doc
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-880A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-880A1.txt
For more information, please contact Austin Randazzo, Attorney Advisor, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-1462 or austin.randazzo@fcc.gov, or Gregory Cooke, Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-2351 or gregory.cooke@fcc.gov. Individuals who are fluent in ASL may call the ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432‐2275 (videophone). TTY users may call the FCC’s TTY number at (888) 835-5322.