Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Come 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, you'll be getting an alert on your phone and your television from FEMA. But please remember, it will only be a test of the IPAWS nationwide emergency alert system.
FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). FEMA says the national test will help ensure that Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) continue to be effective ways to warn the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.
Niagara County Emergency Services Director Jonathan Schultz says FEMA must conduct such a test every three years. He says this could be used for a weather emergency, terrorist attack, and any other danger to public safety. "I know through our Sheriff's Office, communications division, we often use the New York alert system to send messages out and other forms to get messages out during disasters or other things like blizzard to make sure people are warned and to be prepared for what may be coming," says Schultz.
Schultz warns you have to be careful how often you use the alerts. "You don't want people to not really pay attention to the warning going off and really should be used, like in the event of some type of problem going on. So that way, when your phone, your cell phone goes off your television, you know makes that alert warning knows that the message comes across, it gets your attention and you pay attention to what it is," insists Schultz.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz agrees. "If there was a strong tornado that was coming into our community, similar alerts are used. If we get a similar type storm, like the blizzard, we would probably use this to inform the public about the life threatening nature of the storm," says Poloncarz. He says don't expect it when we get a typical winter storm of a foot of accumulation.
Poloncarz notes everyone will get this, and you cannot shut this off. "The FCC and FEMA want to first off test it to make certain it's working properly in a nationwide incident. But also get people accustomed that if this happened again, it's serious, and you have to act appropriately," warns Poloncarz.
