Maryland to Participate in a National Test of the Emergency Alert System Today

Minute-long Television and Radio Message to Occur September 28 at 2:20 P.M. (Eastern)

REISTERSTOWN, Md. (September 28, 2016) — Maryland will be participating in a national test of the Emergency Alert System today at 2:20 P.M. (Eastern). The messaging and style of the test will be similar to the regular monthly test message of the EAS, but, is being conducted in order to test and assess the readiness for distribution of a national-level message. Residents can expect to hear and see the following on radio and television stations this afternoon: “This is a national test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.”

This test is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). According to FEMA, “the test is intended to ensure public safety officials have the methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public in times of an emergency or disaster. Periodic testing of public alert and warning systems is also a way to assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure required for the distribution of a national message and determine what technological improvements need to be addressed.”

More information on the Public Alert and Warning System and Wireless Emergency Alerts is available at www.fema.gov/ipaws or www.ready.gov/alerts.