Wednesday’s nationwide cell phone test alert had mixed results.
WTAW listeners let us know through our text line at 979-695-1620 and our Facebook page NewsTalk 1620 WTAW that some did not receive the alert, others with two phones received the test on one but not the other, and others received two alerts on the same phone.
From The Associated Press:
WASHINGTON (AP) – 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.
Screen shot of WTAW News Director Bill Oliver’s cell phone:
Original story:
Wednesday afternoon at 1:18, your cell phone will launch a tone and receive a text message from the federal emergency management agency and the FCC.
Bryan Broadcasting vice president and general manager Ben Downs says it’s a nationwide test that you can not turn off. The tones that you will hear are the same as when you hear severe weather and amber alerts. And the text message will contain up to 80 characters.
Two minutes later, at 1:20 p.m., radio and television stations and cable systems will broadcast another national test message.
Click below for comments from Ben Downs, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
