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The National EAS and WEA test will be held on October 3, 2018, beginning at 1:18 p.m. CST.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and Emergency Alert System (EAS) on October 3, 2018. The WEA portion of the test commences at 1:18 p.m. CST, and the EAS portion follows at 1:20 p.m. CST. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.

Cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 1:18 p.m. CST. During this time, WEA compatible cell 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. Some cell phones will not receive the test message, and cell phones should only receive the message once. The WEA test message will have a header that reads "Presidential Alert" and text that says:

“THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The WEA system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of receiving the WEA test.

The EAS is a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency.