You can expect a text message from President Trump soon.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system on October 3, 2018 at 2:18 p.m. EDT.The original date was to be this Thursday, September 20, 2018, but on Monday FEMA announced the national WEA test has been postponed to the backup date.The goal is to alert Americans to emergencies like severe weather and missing children. "The EAS is a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency," FEMA says.Most cell phone users will receive an alert..The message will be titled "Presidential Alert," but will indicate it is only a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System.Major cell phone carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will participate.This will be the first nationwide Presidential-level WEA test and cannot be opted outFEMA will also test the Emergency Alert System on radio and television stations.ONLINE: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test------<doc-sep>On October 3rd, FEMA will conduct a test of its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which brings together two existing alert systems, the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alerts system. This system will also mark the first time that a “Presidential Alert” will be sent out to a majority of cell phone owners, who won’t be able to opt out. The test was originally scheduled for September 20th, but has been postponed to the backup date due to ongoing severe weather conditions and accompanying response efforts in some regions of the United States. It will take place at 2:18 PM. Due to severe weather across much of the East Coast and ongoing response efforts, the national emergency alert test has been postponed to the backup date of Oct. 3, 2018 at 2:18 PM EDT. If you have questions about the test, visit the FAQ at https://t.co/Op8T9AEpiF. pic.twitter.com/S9RYxyfdiv — FEMA (@fema) September 17, 2018 TechCrunch notes that these types of alerts were established in 2006 under President George W. Bush, so that the White House can issue a notification to the general public in the instance of an emergency. The messages can be sent at the President’s discretion, but while experts have downplayed the possibility of the system being misused, this is the first time that the message will come with the heading “Presidential Alert.” FEMA also notes that users also won’t be able to opt out of receiving the text messages. The agency says that it’s testing the system to “assess the readiness” for a national emergency message, and to “determine whether improvements are needed.” The WEA test will take place at 2:18PM ET on the 20th in the form of a text message to cell phones (which will come with a different ringtone and vibration), while the EAS test will take place two minutes later via television, radio and wireline providers, with more than 100 providers participating in the test. Any cell phone that is “switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message.” Cell phones from participating providers that are on and in range of a tower will get the text message FEMA released the text of the message, and notes that it’s the fourth test of the EAS system (it was tested in November 2011, September 2016, and September 2017), but that this is the first time that the WEA system has been tested nationwide. “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 toall cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.” The WEA system is the same one that’s used to alert the public in the event of an AMBER Alert or a critical weather situation, and it comes after a terrifying incident in January when an alert went out in January that warned Hawaii residents that a missile was about to strike the state. Following that false alarm, the FCC launched an investigation, and it became clear that the test went out by mistake because of human error and a poorly designed computer interface. The FCC also noted that it will make some additional changes to the system. Updated September 17th, 2:00PM ET: This article has been updated to reflect the postponed date of the FEMA test alert message.<doc-sep>President Donald Trump may soon communicate with you via your cellphone. On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct a test of the national system that allows "presidential alerts" to hit the majority of cellphones. The goal is to warn residents of national emergencies, such as dangerous weather. The warning system "provides the president with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency," FEMA said on its website. The test is scheduled to occur at 2:18 p.m. EDT Thursday. Some cellphone users will receive a message with a header that reads "Presidential Alert." The text then will say: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." But not everyone is on board with the notion of presidential notifications. "I don't want this," actress Alyssa Milano tweeted Saturday. "How do we opt out, @fema?" Seems like Milano is out of luck. Under federal law, users can opt out of the alerts for "imminent threats" and Amber Alerts about abducted children but "not for presidential messages," FEMA warns. Thursday will mark the first national test of the "wireless emergency alerts." Congress authorized the public safety alert system in 2008. It began operating in 2012 and has been used regionally. The agency, already grappling with the effects of Tropical Storm Florence, could delay the test of the alert system to Oct. 3 if there's a major weather disruption, but FEMA said Saturday that Thursday's test was still on.<doc-sep>
President Donald Trump may soon be communicating with you directly on your phone — even if you don't follow him on Twitter. Next Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will do its first test of a system that allows the president to send a message to most U.S. cellphones. More than 100 mobile carriers, including all the major wireless firms, are participating in the roll out, FEMA stated in a message on its website posted Thursday. "The EAS [Emergency Alert System] is 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 message will have a header that reads "Presidential Alert," according to the agency. Users whose phones are on will twice hear a tone and vibration and then see an English-only (for now) message: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The wireless emergency alerts (WEA) system was authorized by Congress in 2015 under a law that states the "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." Experts didn't appear to be too concerned that Trump, known to use his smartphone to blast opponents, berate subordinates and take shots at the news media on Twitter, could abuse WEA. "If you separate this from the politics and personality of any individual president then this is a great idea and an amazing use of technology to reach everybody if they’re in harms way," said Karen North, director of the Annenberg Digital Social Media program at the University of Southern California. UCLA communications professor Tim Groeling agreed, writing via email, "broadcast-based emergency alert systems ... have remained professional and impartial over decades." The WEA is a new way to reach an America increasingly attracted to fragmented forms of media found on phones, tablets and laptops. The well-worn emergency alert system reaches mainly radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers. "A system like this seems necessary in an era where most people are disconnected from 'live' media like radio and television," Groeling said. FEMA stated that the government cannot track end users' location through this alert system. The test is supposed to take place at 2:18 p.m. EDT on Sept. 20. Under the Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act of 2006, cellphone users cannot opt out of the presidential alerts.