Countywide Wireless Emergency Alert Test to be Conducted - Wednesday, Sept. 4th

The Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (EMHSA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first county-wide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system on Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at 9 a.m. EDT. A test message reading: “THIS IS A TEST of the Hamilton County Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action required.” will be sent to cell phones in Hamilton County to assess the county’s readiness to alert the public when an emergency is in progress. A backup test date is scheduled for September 10, 2019 at 9 a.m. EDT.

Many will receive the WEA test message on their cell phones. Specifically, beginning at 9 a.m. EDT, cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are turned on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message. The test WEA will appear to the public as a text-like message accompanied by a special tone and vibration, both repeated twice. Because this is just a test message, no action is required when the public receives the message.

For more information about the Hamilton County Wireless Emergency Alert Test please visit: http://www.hamiltoncountyohioema.org/wireless-emergency-alert-test-2019/.