Heads up: FEMA alert to all cell phones etc. October 4 at 2:20 PM Eastern time
In just a few minutes, FEMA will be testing their alert system. Us old-timers remember TV alerts. Now it's in your pocket; don't have a heart attack.
"Every television, radio and cellphone in the United States is going to broadcast a message on Wednesday along the lines of: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.â€"
Details:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/us/test-alert-us-october.html
20 comments
gloryglorygifts
·3 years agoPretty crazy. NONE of my friends or relatives know my cell # but FEMA does. Big brother is no longer just watching.....
spark-chaser1
·3 years agoBlasted my phone right in the middle of an electrical inspection. Splendid!
I was unaware that it was supposed to happen... Figured at that moment, " hey, the world is ending... Can we wrap this up"?
redmodelt
·3 years agoYou do know that Emergency Alerts could include severe weather, fire, tornado warnings?
I don't have tracking turned on, but if I was solo out in the boonies, I would turn it back on.
Not like they can't find you unless the phone is off but got to wonder if that is true or not (phone shut off if you have it with you). Ma ha ha
Got to go make a new tin foil hat! 🙂
ckimodog
·3 years ago@nobody*s_perfect
I saw it... it was also on TV. Thanks for the heads up!
evelyb30
·3 years agoGot the alert at 14:18. All I could think was "If this was an actual message it would contain actual information. Thank you for letting us pester you."
I'd ask if the aliens were attacking, but I think they've been running Washington DC for a while now.
dhbookds
·3 years agowe commented it was a great time for an attack.......lol (errr, not so lol)....... Odd thing is Russia had one today also. (an alert)
Unavailable member
·3 years agoI turned off government alerts on my cell a while ago.
But thanks for the heads up.
maxine*j
·3 years ago@ebooksdiva
Really? My understanding is that this one cannot be turned off. So did you get an alert, or not, if you don't mind my asking. (Of course, a phone can just be turned off for a few minutes around the announced time of an alert, if getting an alert would really be bothersome.)
I got it at 2:18 PM EST and I was expecting it, having seen the announcement on the news a few days ago.
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Unavailable member
·3 years ago@maxine*j
In iPhone select Notifications scroll all the way down to bottom to Government Alerts
Toggle all 4 to off. I don’t know about android cell phones
No… I didn’t get the alert.
maxine*j
·3 years agoI know how to do all that on my phone. And most of the alerts I do have turned off. But I cannot disable the one sent out today, and my understanding is that on one can.
That's why I asked if you did or did not receive the Alert today, assuming you had your phone turned on. Not that you have to answer, but I am curious. Even in airplane mode, muted, or with WiFi disabled, the alert is received, according to FEMA.
This is what the FCC says:
"In the nationwide WEA test, FEMA will send a test National Alert. Under the WARN Act, participating wireless carriers may offer their subscribers the capability to block all WEAs except National Alerts."
"In passing the WARN Act, Congress allowed participating wireless carriers to offer subscribers the capability to block all WEAs except National Alerts."
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea
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mtgraves7984
·3 years agoI know how to do all that on my phone. And most of the alerts I do have turned off. But I cannot disable the one sent out today, and my understanding is that on one can.
@maxine*j
Thanks for the research. I felt that no one could disable them either. 🤔
@ebooksdiva
Android here. I couldn't find a way to disable mine, but I'll check with one of the grandkids. 😉
mtgraves7984
·3 years ago@ebooksdiva
Three weeks ago during vacation, I (and every other cell phone down the shoreline I sat on) received a local PD alert:
BOLO-INMATE ESCAPE
BLACK MALE
HEIGHT: 5 FT 4 IN
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: GOLD TEETH
NOTES: MAY BE ON BICYCLE
IF SEEN, PLEASE CONTACT __PD, PHONE #___-___-____
That one seemed so odd to all us beach bums. We all looked around a bit... and then started laughing at ourselves. 🤣
simba6
·3 years agoDuck and cover.
mtgraves7984
·3 years ago@simba6
I thought I was the last one left who sings that when I hear 'em! 🎶 🤣
reallynicestamps
·3 years agoAAh! that's what the crazy FaceBook meme I saw was about!
The nutbar was claiming that the test would activate all 5G networks and turn everyone who had been vaccinated against the Margrove (?) virus into zombies.
The methodology and the purpose of this was not explained.
itsjustasprain
·3 years agoI find it more fun to go back to the nutbar AFTER their predicted event has not happened and ask them to explain why it didnt. Its kind of like pinging the ranters here for updates on how their promised 'lawsuite' is working out. 😂
I heard the radio version of the emergency alert and the only thing that occurred to me at the time was that the spoken message portion about how this was just a test was the worst borderline-unintelligible spoken message that I had heard in a long time. It sounded like they recorded it from a phone call circa 1966.
chapeau-noir
·3 years agoThe Qbots are too busy thinking up the next thing, but 12-dimensional chess is exhausting work when you can't even play the 3-dimensional version.
jewelbiz
·3 years agoMine arrived 2 minutes early at 2:18 P.M.
Why did that alert happen early?
silverstatetreasureboxes
·3 years ago@jewelbiz
Well either your on a New York minute or it's the W.H. stating the border is now fully open!!!
( pick your poison, Jewel!)
nobody*s_perfect
OP3 years agoAnd it was 2:17 here. I guess I should have been more accurate; FEMA said, "About 2:20."