The Federal Emergency Management Agency scheduled its first national wireless test of the emergency alert system at 1:18 p.m. CDT Oct. 3., but for students in St. Thomas’ Anderson Student Center the alert came sporadically, or not at all.
Students in the Anderson Student Center view the “presidential” alert on their phones. The Federal Emergency Management Agency scheduled its first national wireless test of the emergency alert system at 1:18 p.m. CDT Oct. 3.
The Federal Communications Commission and the National Weather Service participated in the alert process to ensure that both the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts effectively warn the public about national emergencies.
“I actually didn’t get one (at 1:18 p.m.),” sophomore Henry Hofstad said. “Everyone I was with got them, though.”
The Associated Press reported that the message was broadcasted by cell towers for 30 minutes, “so it’s possible some people may get it at a different time.”
When the alert went off, the tone was similar to that of an Amber Alert or flood warning. The subject of the alert read: “Presidential Alert: THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
First-year student Lauren Wandersee found out about the alert at 12:30 today.
“The noise kind of scared me,” she said. “I didn’t know it was going to make that sound.”
According to the Associated Press, this was FEMA’s first test of the national wireless emergency system.
“I think it’s kind of weird that they can get to our phones that easily,” Wandersee said. “The privacy is kind of weird, but in other ways it’s good to have safety.”
The “presidential” alert is a high-level system test, according to the Associated Press, that is only used to communicate nationwide emergencies.
A second alert on television broadcast and radio went off at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The TV and radio alert has been tested several times before.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at swee4225@stthomas.edu