Today was a big day for FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). The program conducted a national test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). At 2:18 p.m. ET, presidential EAS alerts were sent to radio and television stations across the country. This was followed closely at 2:20 p.m. ET by WEA alerts.
The event marked only the fourth time a national test was conducted for EAS, and the first time a national test was conducted for WEA.
IPAWS Director, Antwane Johnson, was in attendance at the National Emergency Managers Association (NEMA) conference when the test was launched. Mr. Johnson is pictured here spending time with Rick Wimberly, BOLDplanning’s Chief Operating Officer.