Expect Emergency Alarms on Wednesday

Emergency alerts scheduled to be sent out on Wednesday will be no cause for alarm, this time. Though the high-pitched noise ubiquitous with AMBER Alerts, flood warnings, and other calamities usually causes a stir, but when it sounds on October 4, there should be no need to panic.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will test their alert systems that day from 11:20 to 11:50 a.m. to ensure that the systems are running correctly.

Both the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system will be tested. EAS messages will appear by radio and television, while WEA messages will be transmitted to cell phones. Both types of messages will state they are a test, and the agencies have stressed that there is no response needed from the public. Messages will be transmitted in both English and Spanish, depending on the settings of the device they are sent to.

WEA alerts appear similar to text messages and are accompanied by a vibration and blaring sound. They are used for situations such as notifying the public about missing children, inclement weather, and imminent threats. According to the Federal Communications Commission, they are only used for “critical emergency situations.”

EAS alerts notify the public of situations of the same nature through television and radio. FEMA controls the testing and activation of these alerts, though they work alongside the FCC and National Weather Service.

WEA and EAS alerts are a national system, but Santa Barbara residents are also encouraged to sign up for the ReadySBC.org Alerts to receive local notices from the county.