"This is Just a Test" -- Wireless Emergency Alerts System Test Scheduled for April 5th - What You Need to Know

As Chief of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, I am joining the County’s effort to make certain that all our community members and visitors know that a test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system will be taking place on Thursday, April 5 from 10 to 11 a.m. The test will take place in 20 jurisdictions throughout the National Capital Region, which includes all of Montgomery County.

For anyone who has not previously received a WEA message, it is important to know that your WEA-enabled cell phone and other mobile devices will vibrate and produce loud warning audio signals, prior to the receipt of a text-like message. You don’t sign up for WEA alerts, they come automatically. This one is just a test, not a cause for alarm.

The WEA system was developed by the Federal Communications Commission in 2012 to send out geographically-targeted, text-like messages about threats to safety in specific areas. The state of Maryland uses the WEA system for Amber Alerts and the National Weather Service uses it for extreme weather information. It is also designed so that the President of the United States can send out nation-wide alerts during a national emergency.

Wherever you are on April 5 between 10 and 11 a.m., driving, at a store, in school, at work, in the gym, please know that this test will be taking place. And please help us spread the word by letting others know about it.

You can learn more at: WEA Test