Page 15 - HOSPITAAL

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 4 OcTOber 2018

Emergency alert test sounds off

on mobile phones nationwide

By COLLEEN LONG the alert read: “Presidential dren and natural disasters,
Associated Press Alert” and text said: “THIS IS they can’t opt out of the
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elec- A TEST of the National Wire- presidential alerts, which
tronic devices across the less Emergency Alert Sys- are issued at the direction
United States sounded off tem. No action is needed.” of the White House and ac-
Wednesday as the Federal FEMA officials estimated tivated by FEMA.
Emergency Management that about 225 million de- FEMA officials said the ad-
Agency conducted its vices would receive the ministration can only send
first-ever national wireless alert at about the same such an alert for national
he first test of the national wireless emergency system by the emergency alert test. time, but the message was emergencies or if the public
Federal Emergency Management Agency is shown on a cellular The tone went off at 2:18 broadcast by cell towers were in peril, according to
phone in Detroit, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018.
Associated Press p.m. EDT. The subject of for 30 minutes so some peo- rules outlined in a 2006 law,
ple got it later than others. and say it can’t be used for
Some got as many as four any sort of personal mes-
alerts on their phones; oth- sage from a president.
ers didn’t get any. In New York, U.S. District
In a real emergency, de- Judge Katherine Polk Failla
vices would get the alert at rejected a last-minute ef-
the same time or as close fort to block the test. Three
to the same time as pos- people sued, claiming it
sible. violates their constitutional
A second alert on television rights. The plaintiffs said the
broadcast and radio went alert system fails to give
off at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The TV people the chance to opt
and radio alert has been out.
tested for several years. Failla called the consti-
The system test is for a high- tutional questions raised
level “presidential” alert by the lawsuit significant
that would be used only in and urged the litigants to
a nationwide emergency. find lawyers to help them
It was completed in coor- proceed. She said she be-
dination with the Federal lieves the plaintiffs want to
Communications Commis- ensure that President Don-
sion. ald Trump doesn’t turn the
It’s not clear how success- alert system into a second
ful the test was. FEMA offi- Twitter feed.
cials said they would share The judge asked a govern-
test result data on how the ment lawyer if there were
testing went with mobile standards in place to pre-
carriers to help ensure the vent someone from using
system works well in a true the system for political pur-
emergency. poses. Assistant U.S. Attor-
Phones with mobile carri- ney Anthony Sun said tele-
ers that participate in the phones were being added
wireless emergency alert to a century-old alert sys-
system, which sends out tem that is controlled by
information on hazardous law. A FEMA lawyer said
weather, or missing chil- via a phone connection to
dren, got it. FEMA officials the courtroom that deci-
estimated it would reach sions about alerts are at the
about 75 percent of all mo- discretion of the president,
bile phones in the country, just as are many other de-
including phones on all of cisions involving national
the major carriers. security.
The wireless alert system Some Trump critics seized
was launched in 2012. on the alert’s transmis-
While users can opt out of sion to poke fun at the
messages on missing chil- president.q