Community Corner

Don't Panic! Nationwide Test Set to Sound at 2 p.m. Wednesday

The first test of the Emergency Alert System simultaneously across the United States will sound for 30 seconds at the same time.

Everyone in the United States listening to the radio or watching TV at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 9 will hear an alarming 30-second set of beeps and tones followed by a reassuring voice repeating, “this is a test.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which will play simultaneously on all regularly scheduled television, radio, cable and satellite programs.

FEMA and the FCC have worked with broadcasters for years to develop a message system that the president of the United States will use to communicate with the public in case of a national emergency.

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The National Weather Service, as well as governors and state and local emergency authorities, also will use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts. 

"A national test of our Emergency Alert System, with the vital communications support and involvement of participants, is a step towards ensuring that the alert and warning community is prepared to deliver critical information that can help save lives and protect property," said Damon Penn, FEMA's Assistant Administrator of National Continuity Programs in a statement. "Because there has never been an activation of the Emergency Alert System on a national level, FEMA views this test as an excellent opportunity to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system.”

Find out what's happening in Brightonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For more information about how to prepare for and stay informed about what to do in the event of an actual emergency, visit www.Ready.gov.


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