What is the Emergency Alert System on the Radio?

Question

I heard on the FM radio last night a commercial. This computerized voice came on and said "This is a test of the emergency alert system". For about 10 seconds there was silence, and then the voice came back on and said "This has been an EAS test", and the next commercial came on. What does all this mean?

Answer 1

Just a random test they do monthly on radio stations. Just need to pay attention when weather may be bad.

ET

Answer 2

Jarod and the midnight raider are both partly right and a lot wrong.  The EAS or Emergency Alert System was established by the FCC to replace the old EBS, Emergency Broadcast System to better serve the public by warning of many things.  Severe weather, avalanche, tsunami, tornado's, freezes,  911 system outages, and civil alerts are just some.  Later we added the AMBER alerts for abducted children.  Each radio station is required to test once a week and once a month the primary stations in each area must test and then the others must relay to show the system works.  The national weather service is also active in it's transmitters on this system in most areas.  the station you were listening to screwd up by not sending the bursts. The minimum test is three data bursts followed by three more end of message bursts.  If it's the real thing there will be about 8 secnds of a very irritating two tone before an announcement.   No actual announcement is required for a test although many do that.  The data bursts contain the information on originator, type of test or actual alert, duration and time of activation.  The actual alerts can be originated by many different sources, depending on the state plan.  Here in Nevada all alerts on the state level must go through the state police, but on the local level, emergency managers, fire chiefs and police chiefs can originate (or their designated assistants).  The National Weather service can originate weather warnings. The president can originate a message and that is tested once per year, but not relayed to the public.  It is a system to alert to impending danger and not some news flash thing, thus it was not used during 911 since there was no warning.  It is being improved regularly and works well when supported by the local broadcasters.

Answer 3

The EAS is a system that every community in the US is required to have. It is operated usually by the local POlice departmenty. They can over-ride every local radio signal to let people who are listening to the radio know that there is an Emergency, usually severe weather, that they might be endagered by.

Every station has to test their system on I believe a monthly basis. It usually includes a high pitched , extended beep, to get the listeners attention. If it is a test there ususally is a  silent period, and then the message this weas a test in the cae of an actual emergency you would hav ereceived instructions...."

Nothing to worry about. Its just the FCC making suree staitons are keepin g up their equipment.

Answer 4

If you didn't hear anything then the test wasn't working. They test the emergency system monthly to make sure it works. That way when you have severe weather in the area, or a nuclear holocaust is going to happen, they send out a warning on the radio. Basically it's a tornadoe warning for the radio.