The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, November 9, 11am P.S.T.
When the test occurs, please DO NOT call 911. The public will hear a three-and-a-half minute message clearly indicating, “This is a test.” However, the image on the screen and the text/crawl at the top of television screen may not be the same for all viewers. When the EAS test is over, regular programming will resume. To further avoid confusion, TV outlets may prepare an on-screen “crawl” or other visual reminder indicating this is merely a test. Click here for more information: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm
The national-level EAS is an alert and warning system that enables the President to address the American public during extreme emergencies. This test will resemble frequently conducted, local EAS tests. However, this is a national event. As such, this test will broadcast to television and radio outlets throughout the country.
The Deschutes County Sherriff’s Office will be monitoring this test locally. We would like to ask all media affiliated with the EAS system to participate in this valuable test and report any issues to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Manager, Don Webber, at 541-617-3303.
