Ogle County E9-1-1 Coordinator Sandy Beitel announces that on November 9, 2011 at 1pm CST radio and television stations across the nation will participate in the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System.
The thirty second test will be conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This nationwide test is very necessary to ensure the viability of the system. This test will be very similar to those people hear monthly on their local radio and TV stations. The difference is that on Wednesday, November 9, all TV and radio stations will be conducting the test at the same time.
EAS is a national public alert and warning system that enables the President of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies. Alerting authorities can leverage the state and local EAS to send alerts and warnings to radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wire line providers.