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Disclaimer

Date: Monday, October 31, 2011

Media contact person: Gina Hardin, 319-753-8206

The first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System or EAS, will take place at 1:00 PM (Central Standard Time) on Wednesday, November 9, 2011. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be conducting this test. The purpose of this exercise is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the system in alerting the public.

The Emergency Alert System is a media communications-based alerting system that is designed to transmit emergency alerts and warnings to the American public at the national, Tribal, state and local levels. EAS participants broadcast alerts and warnings regarding weather threats, child abductions and other types of emergencies. EAS alerts are transmitted over television and radio broadcast, satellite television and satellite radio, cable television and wire line video services.

Although local and state components of the Emergency Alert System are tested on a weekly and monthly basis, there has never been an end-to-end nationwide test of the system. The emergency response community needs to know if the system will work as intended should public safety officials ever need to send an alert or warning to a large region of the United States. Only a complete, top-down test of the EAS can provide this assessment.

Although the nationwide Emergency Alert System test may resemble the periodic monthly EAS tests that most consumers are familiar with, there will be some differences in what consumers may see or hear which is one reason for conducting a nationwide EAS test. During the test, the public will hear a message indicating "this is a test". The audio message will be the same for everyone, however due to limitations of the EAS; the video test message may not be the same and may not indicate "this is a test".

The test is expected to last approximately three minutes and then consumers will be returned to regular programming. Remember, this is just a test.

As the federal, state, and local governments prepare for and test their capabilities, this event serves as a reminder that everyone should establish an emergency preparedness kit and emergency plan for themselves, their families, communities, and businesses. Anyone can visit www.Ready.gov for more information about how to prepare for and stay informed about what to do in the event of an actual emergency. For more information on the Emergency Alert System, the test, or how to be prepared, contact Gina Hardin at the Des Moines County Emergency Management Agency at 753-8206 or visit http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm.

dmcinfotech@co.des-moines.ia.us    disclaimer