Nationwide EAS System, Local Expert Wants Residents To Be Aware

The federal government will test the Emergency Alert System Wednesday.

The test is to ensure available communication systems are effective in warning the public during emergencies. The test will begin at approximately 1:20 p.m. Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency Director Travis Cole said he wants to ensure to get the word out, so to avoid any unnecessary public worry.

“As we’re now moving into a more active weather time of the year, you know from October to the end of the year is our second most likely time to have severe weather, tornadoes, that kind of thing,” Cole said. “It’s important to do these things to make sure that everything is working right in case they’re needed.”

The test is especially designed to look at communication in national emergencies and uses a centralized internet-based system provided by FEMA. Cole said citizens will receive the test message on radio, television, and cell phones. On your phone, citizens will receive a message reading “THIS IS A TEST” for about 30 minutes.

“These tests are conducted by the federal government, they don’t have anything to do with the state level office or even the local level office,” Cole said. “We’re just helping in pushing information out to keep the citizens aware of what’s going to keep there from being panic.”

Cole said typically the federal government will conduct a regular test and report if an area is unable to receive a message.

“If we’re having an active weather day, they will postpone or cancel that week’s test just to keep the confusion down,” Cole said. “Just a precaution to keep somebody saying ‘Oh well that’s just the test, we don’t need to take it seriously.’ If there’s a chance that there’s a real risk that day then they will postpone it until a day that there’s not a risk.”