Why every phone will sound an alert on Wednesday at 2:20 PM ET

 Why every phone will sound an alert on Wednesday at 2:20 PM ET

This Wednesday at 2:20 PM ET, if you hear a shrieking alert go off on your phone and everyone else's phone, don't freak out.

The federal government announced that it will test its Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System across the country on Wednesday afternoon. While the WEA element of the test will direct alerts to all consumer mobile phones, the EAS component of the test will send an alert about an emergency to all radios and TVs.

The Federal Disaster Relief Agency, which is conducting the test in partnership with the Federal Communication Commission, stated in a statement that the test's goal is to ensure that the alarm systems continue to be effective means of cautioning the public about emergencies, particular those on a national level.

What you should know is as follows.

Why does this matter to me?

This Wednesday, at about 2:20 p.m. ET, all wireless phones should start to get an alert and a text message stating that "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. Nothing needs to be done.

Your device's language settings will determine whether the free text message is sent in English or Spanish. According to FEMA, the text will be accompanied by a special tone and vibration that will make the alarm accessible to everyone, including those who are disabled.

Cell towers will transmit the test for about 30 minutes starting at 2:20 PM ET, according to FEMA. During this period, the text message should be delivered to all suitable wireless phones that are turned on, nearby an active cell tower, and whose wireless providers take part in WEA tests.

As part of the larger test, an emergency alarm will also be aired simultaneously on all radios and televisions. It will read: "This is a countrywide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 ET. Just consider this a test. The public does not need to take any action.

You don't need to do anything after hearing the emergency alert test on your phone, radio, or television, the organization has stated.

Has this ever occurred before?

The Emergency Alert System, which sends out notifications via radio and television broadcasters, will be put to the test for the eighth time nationwide on Wednesday. The Wireless Emergency Alerts are currently undergoing their third nationwide test, but only their second to reach consumer cellular devices.

Both systems have recently undergone testing, most recently in 2021. More than ten years ago, in 2011, the Emergency Alert System had its very first test.

The government hasn't gotten this wrong before, right?

In fact, there have been numerous high-profile mishaps connected to mobile emergency warning systems that reach cell phones that have been ascribed to mistakes at the state level.

The most infamous instance was maybe a misfire in Hawaii in 2018 that caused a brief panic across the state. A Hawaii state emergency management employee unintentionally pressed the incorrect button in the emergency operation center on the morning of January 13, 2018, causing a false alert about an approaching ballistic missile danger to be sent out. According to state officials, the person who hit the incorrect button was finally sacked.

Florida's state emergency management officials also apologized earlier this year after residents were awakened at 4:45 a.m. by a test emergency alert sent to their phones. According to state officials, the test alarm was not intended to wake anyone who was asleep and was solely intended to run on TV. Additionally, Florida announced that it was terminating its agreement with the software provider responsible for sending the pre-dawn test alert to mobile devices.

A FEMA representative warned CNN last year that software flaws might make it possible for hackers to broadcast fictitious messages over the nation's TV and radio networks' systems for disseminating emergency alerts. At the time, the organization advised owners of these devices to update their firmware to fix the problem. However, the notice did not mention that text message-based notifications might also be affected. At the time, the official said that there was no proof that malevolent hackers had actually taken use of the flaws.