Emergency Alert Wednesday: Ready In Claremont, La Verne

CLAREMONT, CA — On Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 11:18 a.m. local time, the national Wireless Emergency Notification System was scheduled to blast out an alert to everyone in the country.

FEMA warns, expect your phones to buzz with the emergency notification from the president. And no, you can't turn it off, they said.

The IPAWS National Test is a coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to test the Wireless Emergency ALerts and the Emergency Alert System.

The date was moved back due to the response to Hurricane Florence. It was set to begin at 2:18 p.m. EDT, or 11:18 Pacific and was expected to last two minutes.

"Expect a message box on your phone along with a loud tone and vibration," FEMA said on Twitter.

The message reads:

Presidential Alert

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

According to Orange County Emergency Operation Center Manager, Jordan Villwock, "They've never tested the ability of the federal government to send text messages to everyone's phones."

The wireless notification system was in effect during the Aliso Fire, sending Alert OC messages to targeted areas directly impacted by the fire.

The new messaging system, according to Villwock, means that even people who have not registered for Alert OC can be messaged during an emergency.

"If someone is visiting from Boston and is at Main Beach and a tsunami occurs, the wireless alert will be sent to all cell phones (in a specific cell tower location) regardless of the area code," Villwock told the Orange County Register.

Still, he recommends that all residents sign up for the AlertOC.com system by entering your email address and cellphone number.

"We have several hazards living in Orange County that we need to prepare for," he told the Register. "Preparedness gives you peace of mind."

TODAY (10/3): At 2:18 PM EDT, we will be testing the Wireless Emergency Alert system nationwide. Expect a message box on your phone along with a loud tone and vibration.

Questions? Visit https://t.co/Op8T9AEpiF pic.twitter.com/cCXJGGObPP
— FEMA (@fema) October 3, 2018

Photo, FEMA