Full Notification

The Metuchen Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with the Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management is alerting residents about nationwide testing being conducted on Wednesday, October 4th At 2:20 PM. The test will send alerts to cell phones, radios, and televisions. The alert is being conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

There is no action residents need to take. This Nixle message is just an advisory of what is anticipated to occur. 

FEMA NEWS RELEASE
FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall. The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. this Wednesday, October 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test for all cellular devices. The test message will be displayed in either English or Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test. FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers, and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test
to minimize confusion and maximize the public safety value of the test.

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. 

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

CELL PHONE MESSAGE
Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.

For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “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: “ESTA ES UNA
PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

RADIO AND TELEVISION MESSAGE
Important information about the EAS test:
The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers.

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.

Instructions:

THIS IS A TEST. NO ACTION NEEDED BY THE PUBLIC.