- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
FEMA to conduct multistate emergency alert system test June 15
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday, June 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will conduct the last in a series of multistate tests of the new “National Periodic Test” Emergency Alerting System, or EAS, event code.
This test will involve more than 3,000 broadcast outlets in nine states from FEMA Regions VIII, IX and X, according to a report from the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Starting at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time Wednesday – subject to a minute or two of propagation delay through EAS relay networks – broadcasters will sound the usual EAS tones followed by this message text:
“This is a National test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test. Broadcast and cable operators in your area have developed this system in voluntary cooperation with FEMA, the FCC and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the alert tone. This concludes this National test of the Emergency Alert System.”
The sheriff's office reported that this text was crafted by FEMA to make this event sound as much like a regular required monthly test as possible.
All of this is in preparation for the next full National EAS Test, currently slated for late September. Officials said no action is required either by agencies or by the public.
In prior regional tests FEMA has canceled the broadcast in states where there were ongoing events that might be confused with the test. As such, officials said it is possible the test may not occur as scheduled.