ARIZONA—Don’t be alarmed Wednesday when your phone and television begin to buzz and wail, it’s just part of a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will begin conducting a national test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) at 11:18 a.m. and continue with an activation of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) at 11:20 a.m.

WEA is a cell phone alert that you receive on your phone like an amber alert. The WEA takes up to 30 minutes to broadcast from every cell tower in the nation, so you should expect to receive a cell phone alert during that time.  

The alert message on your phone will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

EAS is the standard radio and television alert that you are most likely familiar with.  The alert tone is followed by a typical broadcast: “This is a test of the emergency alert system.”

No action is necessary when you receive this alert and the public is being asked to not call emergency personnel regarding the alert.

For more information about the IPAWS National Test, please visit www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test.

For any questions regarding impending alert test, contact your local police or fire department on their non-emergency phone line.