Nationwide emergency alert test set for this morning at 11:20 a.m. What to expect on your cellphone

FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon.

The test is set for approximately 11:20 p.m. PT, during which an alert will be sent out on all cellphones, televisions, and radios. The test message will be accompanied by a tone and vibration on cell phones.

The purpose of the test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning Americans in the event of an emergency, particularly on the national level.

All cell phones should receive the message only once during the 30-minute testing window. The message you should receive in your phone will read: will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The message will appear in Spanish for those who have the language setting turned on on their device.

The test message will be similar over radio and television airwaves and will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public."

In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed, due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the backup testing date is Oct. 11. 

FEMA is required by law to conduct a test of the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System at least once every three years. The last test was conducted in August 2021.

After each test, an after-action report and improvement plan is created and incorporated into future testing to ensure continual advancement of alert and warning capabilities.

Riverside County has its own local alerting system that residents can register for by clicking this link.

Watch News Channel 3 tonight at 6:00 p.m. for more on the story.