Source: The Washington PostEd O'Keefe
"This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test.”
The familiar strains of the Emergency Alert System are heard at various times on television and radio stations across the country every week, usually to alert Americans of impending weather danger or missing children.
But the White House has the authority to activate the system at the national level in the event of a major emergency including terrorist attacks or earthquakes.
In anticipation of future emergencies, television and radio stations and cable and satellite TV providers plan to broadcast the same emergency test message at the same time next Wednesday as part of the government’s first-ever nationwide test of the alert system.
