WASHINGTON, October 2, 2018—FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications
Commission, will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless
Emergency Alerts on Wednesday, October 3, 2018. The WEA portion of the test, which
will be sent to consumer cell phones, will begin at 1:18 p.m. Central. The EAS portion of the
test, which will be sent to radio and television, will follow at 1:20 p.m. CDT. This will be the
fourth nationwide EAS test and the first nationwide WEA test. In light of the upcoming test,
the agencies share the following key informational points:

THE WIRELESS ALERT TEST MESSAGE: The WEA test message will appear
on consumers’ phones and read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless
Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” Phones will display this national test
using the header “Presidential Alert.”