Several countries testing their emergency alert system within months of each other 'purely a coincidence' say experts.
The United States will be conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts across all wireless and electronic devices in October. The U.S. is the latest country to implement the device, following India, Australia, and the United Kingdom who have all tested an identical system this year.
The purpose of the test is supposedly to 'warn the public about emergencies', particularly those on a national scale, and to "ensure that the systems that are in place continue to be effective."
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and FEMA will carry out the test that will happen in two parts - from the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and from the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
As with the British test, the system will 'override' anything that is on your device at the time it's triggered, unless it is actively switched off, an option buried in a sub menu of a sub menu, on most devices.
The emergency alert is set to take place Wednesday, October 4th around 2:20 pm, Eastern Time (ET), and then again on October 11th.
“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
USA Today said the nationwide test comes “in the wake of the horrific fires on the island of Maui on Aug. 8, when warning sirens that might have alerted people to the danger weren’t deployed, it’s a reminder of what systems are in place should they be needed.”
All wireless phones should receive the message only once. Cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message, FEMA said in a press release.
Questions are being raised over why so many countries are simultaneously testing their emergency alert systems. Canada, Japan, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, India, and most recently the UK have all implemented identical systems, most of which have been tested this year. However, experts have been quick to dismiss this as 'coincidence' with the US system being brought forward only as a response to Maui wildfires. Speculation is rife over the actual reason with some, such as Tucker Carlson, suggesting that war with Russia is a strong possibility, whilst others pointing to the Pentagon's recent claim that aliens are routinely visiting earth, whilst others still suggest that the recent announcement of Disease 'X' is at the root of the mass testing plan.
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