Cellphones, radios, and TVs in West Hartford and throughout the country will be buzzing on Oct. 4, 2023, at 2:30 p.m., and here’s why.

Submitted

FEMA will be conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, at approximately 2:30 p.m. This test will be directed to all consumer cell phones, radios and television sets.

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.

During the test, a message will appear on cell phones that reads: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display the message in Spanish.

To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.

The television and radio portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute. The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It 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.”

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