On Wednesday afternoon, nearly every smart phone in America blared and vibrated with an emergency alert – the first ever test of the national Presidential Alert system.

The Presidential Alert is similar to the state-level systems that let police and local authorities send out AMBER Alerts and weather warnings. The biggest difference is its scale. Wednesday’s nationwide system was designed to blast a message to all 225 million smart phones in the United States – and reach about 75% of the population.

News of the Presidential Alert test drew immediate criticism on some corners of social media – with some people vowing to turn off their phones, believing wrongly that they will be a captive audience of President Donald Trump. Some even mused – incorrectly – that the system would allow him to tweet to every American.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and experts say the Presidential Alert will not be Trump’s personal megaphone to America. Instead, they argue, it’s a necessary 21st-century update to the Emergency Alert System that has for decades allowed the president to authorize broadcasts on every television and radio in the country in the event of a national emergency.

The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now

Here’s what you need to know about Wednesday’s test of the Presidential Alert system.

When did the Presidential Alert test happen and what did it say?

At 2:18 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 3, FEMA sent out the first message testing the new nationwide presidential-level Wireless Emergency Alert. The alert went out to every smart phone in the United States that was turned on and within range of a cell tower and there was no opt-out. Originally scheduled for Sept. 20, the test was rescheduled for Oct. 3 due to Hurricane Florence.

The Presidential Alert said:

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The message to smart phones was followed by an Emergency Alert System message broadcast on every TV and radio at 2:20 p.m. ET. That featured a voice that said:

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar Wireless Emergency Alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”

In the event of an actual emergency, the Presidential Alert will include information about the emergency and instructions for how to respond and stay safe.

What is the Presidential Alert system and how does it work?

The Presidential Alert – also known as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) – is a new take on the country’s existing emergency warning systems.

FEMA said Wednesday’s test was meant to assess the readiness to distribute an emergency message nationwide and determine whether there are improvements to be made.

FEMA said every American who owns a smart phone – which is about 75% of the population – should have received the test alert. FEMA said the test was meant to allow officials to find a way to reach more people, including those who do not have access to smartphones. The alerts were similar to the ones for extreme weather or AMBER Alerts, which feature a loud alarm followed by vibration. Wednesday’s alert lasted around one minute, and required no action.

Only Wireless Emergency Alert-compatible cellphones that were switched on and within range of an active cell tower were able to receive the test alert. 100 mobile carriers participated, including the largest providers.

The clear difference between a Wireless Emergency Alert and a text message is the special, loud tone and a vibration that are both repeated twice, according to FEMA. There was also a distinctive Wireless Emergency Alert message dialogue box that appeared on phones’ home screens.

In the future, the President of the United States will have sole responsibility for determining when the national-level Emergency Alert System will be activated, but FEMA will be responsible for tests and exercises of the system.

Will President Trump now be able to personally message every phone in America?

In short, no.

Because it has been dubbed a Presidential Alert, some have claimed that Trump himself will now be able to send all Americans personalized messages.

However, FEMA said the alert system is meant to be used in case of an emergency and Wednesday’s Presidential Alert only featured a brief text pertaining directly to the test.

There is also a law prohibiting Trump or any president from abusing the system. The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015 specifically states that the warning system must only be used to to alert the public of a potential disaster, so if Trump were to use the Presidential Alert for anything other than its intended use, he would be breaking the law.

“Except to the extent necessary for testing the public alert and warning system, the public alert and warning system shall not be used to transmit a message that does not relate to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster or threat to public safety.” the act states.

The process is also a lot more complex than simply drafting a tweet and hitting send. There are very specific guidelines for what the message must contain and the President himself will not draft the message, he will simply authorize a staff member to send it out on his behalf, according to FEMA.

“The message is not coming directly from the President,” a FEMA spokesman tells TIME. “The message is going to be sent on behalf of the President. The President or anyone that he designates will be advised by the staff to activate the warning and then issue it to the public, at that time the designee would contact FEMA at our operations center and tell us to activate the warning.”

Why were people threatening to turn off their phones to avoid the test?

Trump’s messages to his 54.8 million followers on Twitter are often brash and full of his own opinions. The misconception that the customized message will be similar to his tweets had some people online protesting the scheduled test, even going as far as turning their phones off to avoid receiving the Presidential Alert.

The #Godark103 was being used by Twitter users who protested the Presidential Alert by shutting off their phones.

Tim Groeling, a professor of communication studies at the University of California-Los Angeles, says that he believes the Presidential Alert system is an inevitable extension of the existing emergency alert systems. She says that the #Godark103 hashtag on Twitter has more to do with some people’s aversion to Trump than any reasonable fear of the alert being abused.

“The amount of paranoia that people are engaged in on this is kind of shocking for something that is a natural extension of the national broadcast system in a situation where people aren’t consuming live media,” Groeling tells TIME.

“If Trump was going to abuse this system, he could of already been abusing the television one, which has been in force since he took office.

“I think people’s telephones are very personal devices, they carry them with them all the time, so the level of concern is higher. But, on the flip side of that, if there is an earthquake or any other disaster, it is a good medium to let people know, because in those situations seconds do count.”

Why is the Presidential Alert system important?

FEMA said Wednesday’s nationwide test will provide FEMA with valuable information on the government’s ability to distribute a national emergency message.

The IPAWS Modernization Act, made law in 2016, requires FEMA to conduct at least one nationwide test every three years. According to FEMA, the nationwide test are to help ensure under all conditions that the President, federal agencies and state, local and tribal governments can alert and warn the civilian population in areas endangered by natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters and threats to public safety.

Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com.</s>Watch for an emergency alert test message on your cell phone.

It’s the first nationwide test for a wireless phone emergency alert. It will be sent at 1:18 p.m. TODAY.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it’ll sound like an Amber Alert or flood warning. The subject will read: “Presidential Alert.”

The text will say: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

A test on radio and TV will happen two minutes later.

The post NATIONAL EMERGENCY ALERT TEST MESSAGE ON MOBILE PHONES AT 1:18 P.M. TODAY appeared first on 1470 WMBD.</s>(WSVN) - A nationwide test of the United States’ new Wireless Emergency Alerts, the first of its kind, is set to take place on Wednesday.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the test will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 3. The test is set to take place in two parts — first on all wireless devices at 2:18 p.m. followed by an Emergency Alert Systems test at 2:20 p.m.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency website notes that this is the fourth EAS test but just the first test conducted on all wireless devices.

As part of wireless emergency alerts, users will receive Presidential Alerts, AMBER Alerts, and alerts in cases of extreme weather or “other threatening emergencies.” FEMA says that users can opt out of emergency alerts but by law cannot opt out of Presidential Alerts.

As part of the alert, cellphones that are on and within range of a cell tower will receive a message and a “loud tone and vibration” but not all phones will receive the message. The message will have a header that says “Presidential Alert” and will read…

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The MEMA website says that the system provides the president with the ability to communicate with the nation in times of a national emergency.

The test was originally scheduled for Sept. 20 but was postponed due to Hurricane Florence recovery efforts.

For more information on the test, visit the FEMA website here.

Copyright 2018 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The Latest: Wireless alert sounds across the US at 2:18 EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the first nationwide emergency alert test on cellphones, to take place on Wednesday (all times local):

Electronic devices sounded off across the United States Wednesday afternoon as the Federal Emergency Management agency conducted an emergency alert test.

The tone sounded at 2:18 p.m. EDT. The subject read: "Presidential Alert" and text read: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

It is the first test of the national wireless emergency system by FEMA. The message was broadcast on cell towers for 30 minutes. Some people got the alert multiple times. Others didn't get it at all.

FEMA estimated about 225 million electronic devices, or about 75 percent of all mobile phones in the country, would receive the alert. It hasn't said yet whether the test went well.

The system test is for a high-level "presidential" alert that would be used only in a nationwide emergency. The goal is to have phones get the alert at the same time.

A New York federal judge has refused to block the Federal Emergency Management Agency from conducting its emergency alert test on telephones.

Judge Katherine Polk Failla (FAY'-luh) in Manhattan rejected the longshot effort by three individuals who sued without a lawyer to try to stop the test Wednesday afternoon.

She called the constitutional questions raised by the lawsuit significant and urged the litigants to find attorneys to help them pursue their claims. The lawsuit said the alert system violates the First and Fourth Amendments by failing to give people the chance to opt-out.

Failla said the claims were too speculative to block the test.

The judge said she believes the litigants want to ensure President Donald Trump doesn't turn the alert system into a second Twitter feed.

About 225 million electronic devices across the United States will wail and buzz Wednesday afternoon as the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducts an emergency alert test.

A tone will sound at 2:18 p.m. EDT, similar to that of an Amber Alert or flood watch warning, and the subject of the alert will read: "Presidential Alert" and text will say: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

It is the first test of the national wireless emergency system by FEMA. The message will be broadcast by cell towers for 30 minutes, so it's possible some people may get it at a different time. The alerts will sound as long as the device is turned on — even if it's on mute or do not disturb, and it may also appear on smart watches, officials said.

A second alert on television broadcast and radio will go off at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The TV and radio alert has been tested for several years.

The system test is for a high-level "presidential" alert that would be used only in a nationwide emergency. It is being completed in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission. FEMA officials said Tuesday they would share test result data on how the testing went with mobile carriers to help ensure the system works well in a true emergency.

Phones with mobile carriers that participate in the wireless emergency alert system, which sends out information on hazardous weather, or missing children, will get the alert. FEMA officials estimate it will reach about 75 percent of all mobile phones in the country, including phones on all of the major carriers.

The wireless alert system launched in 2012. While users can opt out of messages on missing children and natural disasters, they can't opt out of the presidential alerts, which are issued at the direction of the White House and activated by FEMA.

FEMA officials said the administration can only send such an alert for national emergencies or if the public were in peril, rules outlined in a 2006 law, and they say it can't be used for any sort of personal message from the president.

A group of New Yorkers filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York arguing they should not be compelled to receive the alerts under their right to free speech.

This story corrects one of the constitutional amendments plaintiffs say the emergency test violates to the Fourth Amendment, not the 14th.</s>WASHINGTON – A message headed “Presidential Alert” will be sent Wednesday to cell phones throughout the United States as part of a nationwide test of an emergency alert system, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The brief message will also say that it is only a TEST and that no action is needed.

In a statement, FEMA said it will conduct a nationwide test Wednesday of the Wireless Emergency Alerts system (WEA) which will go to cell phones. It will also make a test Wednesday of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which involves radio and television systems and their audiences.

According to the statement, the dual test “will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.”

It will be the first national WEA test, and the fourth nationwide test of EAS, the statement said. The last previous EAS test was carried out in September, 2017, FEMA said.

In the statement, FEMA said cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for about 30 minutes, starting at 2:18 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.
• The new national public alert test system for your cellphone failed its first test in Quebec
• Emergency alert test going out to mobile phones nationwide

During the test broadcasting period, FEMA said, WEA compatible cell phones “that are switched on, in range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message.”

It said cell phones should get the message only once.

According to FEMA, the WEA message will have a header saying “Presidential Alert.”

In its text, FEMA said, the message is to read :

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

In its statement, FEMA said the WEA system is used to warn about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through cell phone alerts.

The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages, such as those for tornado warnings or AMBER alerts, FEMA said.

FEMA said the EAS test will begin at 2:20 p.m.

EAS was described by FEMA as a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency. FEMA said the test is made available to EAS participants which include radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers.

As described by FEMA, the EAS message is to begin with the words “THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. ” It is to conclude, FEMA said, by announcing that “A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”

FEMA said the test was planned for Sept. 20 but was postponed by the need to respond to Hurricane Florence.

EAS tests have been conducted previously in collaboration with the FCC, broadcasters, and emergency management officials in recognition of FEMA’s National Preparedness Month, FEMA said.</s>But don’t worry, the president hasn’t gone mad and launched a nuclear missile strike. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is simply conducting a nationwide test of its Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, reports USAToday . The WEA is essentially the cellular device version of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) that is broadcast to radios and TVs.

In a statement alerting people to the test, FEMA said, “The purpose of the test is to ensure that EAS and WEA are both effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.” So at 2:18 p.m. if you have your cell phone turned on and you are within range of an active cell tower, and your wireless provider participates in the WEA system, you’ll receive the following message:

The message will appear only once and once you receive it you can safely dismiss it–this time. Future WEA alerts will be for real, however. They can be issued for anything from missing children to hazardous weather, or even allow the president a new way to address the nation during a national emergency.</s>Don't be surprised if you get a text message from the White House on Wednesday.The government is testing a new nationwide alert system that would let presidents send out emergency messages to phones all over the country.The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will test Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, Oct. 3.The WEA test alert will be sent to cell phones connected to participating wireless providers at 2:18 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, FEMA officials said. The message will say:"Presidential Alert: THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."While not everyone will receive the message, phones that do should only receive it once, with a special tone and vibration that people will recognize, FEMA said.The WEA system is currently used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children and other critical situations. The president would be able to use this system to send alerts if there is a "public peril" that would require nationwide notification, like if there were a risk of an imminent attack or multiple terrorist attacks, according to FEMA.When used, the presidential alert would be followed by state or local instructions. While people can opt out of Amber Alerts and other alert messages, the public will not be able to opt out of presidential alerts.The EAS portion of the test will be sent to participating broadcast entities at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The message will say:"THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required."The test is being performed to see if there are any improvements that need to be made to the way these presidential alerts would be distributed in the future. It was originally scheduled for Sept. 20, but was pushed to Oct. 3 due to Hurricane Florence.</s>Cell phones across the nation received a “Presidential Alert” Tuesday afternoon as part of a national Emergency Action System test. It was the first time the test included cell phone alerts that are similar to the ones you receive for Amber Alerts or dangerous weather situations.

Phones equipped for the Wireless Emergency Alert system received the messages if that option had been turned on and if the phone was near an active cell tower that provide WEA messages.

The nationwide alert hear on radio and television broadcasts, cable systems, satellite radios, television providers, and wireline video providers had similar tones at the beginning of the test and follwed with this message:

"This is a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators under voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar Wireless Emergency Alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the messge; others will not. No action is required."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says that the Emergency Action System provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency. FEMA says the dual test helped asses the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and that it determined whether improvements were needed to the EAS and WEA systems.

The test for this year was originally scheduled for September 20 but it was postponed because of the need to respond to hurricane Florence.</s>(CNN) — If you have a cell phone, it probably buzzed and beeped loudly Wednesday afternoon around 2:18 p.m. ET.

“Presidential Alert,” the screen said. “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

It’s the first nationwide test of the system built by the federal government and cell phone carriers to warn Americans of an emergency, like a terror attack or a widespread disaster.

We’ve seen Amber Alerts for missing children and weather alerts for incoming thunderstorms or tornadoes. The presidential alert is like those, only it goes to virtually every cell phone in the country, and you can’t turn it off.

What is this?

 The federal government has long had a system to issue alerts over television and radio. It has grown more sophisticated since it was created in the 1950s, and now includes a system to send warnings to cell phones, too. (The TV and radio system is tested monthly.)

The buzz and tone have the same feel and sound as those used for the Amber and weather alerts.

The system is run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which says all of the country’s major cell phone carriers participate.

The test was originally scheduled for September but was postponed as FEMA responded to Hurricane Florence. The law behind the cell phone notification system, which was passed in 2016, requires FEMA to run a test at least every three years.

Is it a message from President Trump?

 It’s called the “presidential alert,” but the President doesn’t actually write it.

Instead, FEMA officials confer with other government agencies and the White House, select one of several pre-written messages, customize the message to fit the particular emergency and send it out.

“The President will not originate this alert, say, from his mobile device,” a senior FEMA official told reporters on Tuesday. “You would not have a situation where any sitting president would wake up one morning and attempt to send a particular message.”

Then who pushes the button?

 If you’re picturing a red button inside a glass box or a fire-alarm-style handle on the wall — this isn’t that.

FEMA officials use a device that’s “very similar to a laptop computer,” the senior FEMA official said. After filling in the message form, two other FEMA officials are asked to sign off on the alert — a system designed to prevent false alarms, like the incorrect alert of an incoming missile that roused and terrified people in Hawaii earlier this year.

“Everything is secured, password-protected and then authenticated or checked by two people before that message is sent,” the official said.

Can I silence my phone or turn off the alert?

 Unlike the Amber and weather alerts, the presidential alert can’t be turned off.

Because the message is meant to include “critical lifesaving information,” it’s designed to reach as many cell phones as possible, even those that aren’t activated or don’t have SIM cards.

The FEMA official said that in past, smaller tests, about 75% of phones received the alert. If a phone is off, or on a call at the time of the alert, the message many not come through.

What about the other screens in my life?

 If you were looking at another piece of glowing glass — like your television — during the test, you may have seen the alert there, too.

Here’s what you may have seen on TV or heard on the radio: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”

The message was also scheduled to appear on some smartwatches connected to cell phones, FEMA said.

What about my privacy?

 The FCC said it does not collect data based on the test, though it will ask cell service providers for feedback about how the test went.</s>A nationwide test of the system alerting the country in the event of an emergency is scheduled for Wednesday.

The test is being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission.

It’s really two tests: the first will check out the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, which will send a test text message to cell phones across the country Wednesday starting at 2:18 p.m. It marks the first time the process of sending alerts to cell phones will be tested.

The second will test the Emergency Alert System of TV and radio broadcasters two minutes later.

WKAR chief engineer Gary Blievernicht says “the point of the test is to find out if the system works, where any problems are, identify them, and to mitigate them over the course of time.”

The cell phone text will include a “presidential alert” header along with a message explaining that this is a test and that no action is needed.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency sends its first ever "Presidential Alert", a Wireless Emergency Alerts test message, at 2:18 pm EDT (18:18 UTC) to most cell phones in the United States.