Don't Panic: National Emergency Test Today

The following information was submitted to Patch:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) today will conduct the first national test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) test. This nationwide test will kick off at 2 p.m. (EST) and run concurrently across all time zones.

This system test is the first of its kind designed to broadcast a nationwide message to the American public. In the history of the country, nothing like it has been conducted on such a level. As you may be aware, there have been tests in the past, but not of this magnitude encompassing all regions of the ation simultaneously. The three-minute test will run concurrently on all radio and TV band stations, exceeding the previous messages broadcast which were anywhere from a 30-second to one-minute message.

There is great concern in local police and emergency management circles about undue public anxiety over this test. The test message on TV might not indicate that it is just a test. Fear is that the lack of an explanation regarding the message might create panic. Please share this information with your family and friends so they are aware of the test.
Below are two websites that will provide more information regarding this test:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm
https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/