The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on Tuesday, November 17th.
The test will begin at approximately 1:20 p.m. Central Time and will involve radio and television stations, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers across the country.
Normal programming will be temporarily interrupted by a message identifying the alert as a nationwide test and informing the public that no action is required. Programming will resume after the test.
The Emergency Alert System is the national public warning system used to distribute critical information during emergencies. Federal law requires FEMA to conduct a nationwide test at least once every three years to identify potential technical or operational problems before the system is needed during an actual emergency.
FEMA and the FCC are announcing the test in advance so the public knows the interruption is only a test and not an actual emergency.