The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alerts on Aug. 11, 2021. Both tests will begin at 11:20 a.m. Arizona time.
Test messages will be sent to televisions, radios and select cell phones that have opted-in to receive test messages.
“It is important to test communication methods to ensure agencies can effectively warn and deliver messages to the public in case of an emergency,” said Allen Clark, director of the Arizona Division of Emergency Management. “We want to let Arizonans know about these scheduled tests so they will not be alarmed when they hear their phones give off alerting tones or see scrolling messages on their televisions.”
Authorized local, state, federal, tribal and territorial government agencies create and send emergency alerts to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. The test messages will display in either English or Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.
Many Arizona counties and tribes have a system in place designed to quickly notify an affected area of an emergency by sending a voice or text message. Arizonans are encouraged to sign up for alerts from their local emergency management office to stay informed.
The testing of the emergency alert system comes just weeks before Arizona Preparedness Month, a campaign throughout the month of September to raise awareness about emergencies. Arizonans are encouraged to learn the four steps of all-hazard emergency preparedness on the Arizona Emergency Information Network website, or follow AzEIN on Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date with the state’s latest emergency updates, hazard information and preparedness advice.
FEMA has provided 2021 National Test Frequently Asked Questions, and a YouTube video.
