Community Announcement from the Seattle Office of Emergency Management

Nationwide Test of Emergency Alert System

Don’t be alarmed if your favorite TV or radio show gets interrupted next Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 11 a.m. (2 p.m. EST) More than 20,000 television and radio broadcast stations across the country are participating in the first-ever, nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The test will last approximately 30 seconds.

In the event of a national catastrophe, the EAS would activate, allowing the President of the United States to address millions of people at the same time. The system is similar to that most commonly used by state and local officials for Amber Alerts and weather alerts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are conducting the test. They have provided a number of helpful resources for people to learn more about what to expect. The following link provides information on video in English, Spanish and ASL, along with FAQs and other information: http://www.fema.gov/eastest/

The test next week only affects TV and radio systems. Please feel free to contact our office if you have additional questions.