Expect Loud Noise From Your Mobile Phone at 2:18 Pm
Wherever you are today at 2:18 pm ET, brace yourself for a loud noise. No, everything is okay; it’s just the president (and the FEMA) sending you a message.
FEMA is testing its new Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert System today at exactly 2:18 pm and 2:20 pm. Your phone will vibrate and beep, just like Amber Alert tornado warnings and sirens. FEMA says the tests “will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure to deliver a nationwide message and determine if improvements are needed.”
Some cell phones will also receive a text message: THIS IS A TEST OF THE NATIONAL WIRELESS Emergency Alert System. No action required. “
These text messages are sent by the president and technically cannot be blocked. However, you can try a few of these strategies if you really don’t want to receive them.
The test will take 30 minutes. This means that if FEMA is unable to reach you at 2:18 or 2:20 am, it will try to contact you within half an hour. So if you really don’t want to deal with it (or you’re in a meeting, or a movie, or whatever), turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode for half an hour.