Wireless Emergency Alert System Testing

(KSFY)
Published: Oct. 3, 2018 at 9:32 AM CDT
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Keeping people aware is the goal.

“The WEA, Wireless Emergency Alert System is putting out a nationwide test to test the program that hits just about every cell phone across the nation,” said Scott Meints, Director of Brown County Emergency Management.

While not every cell phone will receive the alerts, most will.

”There are some fallbacks of older cell phones that don’t have he WEA capability, there are cell phone providers that are not on the WEA platform.”,” Meints said.

Josh Blohowiak didn't know the alert is being sent out tomorrow.

”It would have been definitely a shock, probably concerned, wondering what exactly is going on,” said Josh Blohowiak.

Now that he has a better understanding of what the notification is, he's eager to see what the future of it may be.

”I think it’s an advantage, everybody has their phone every single day of the week and they find their information over Twitter, Facebook, whatever else and I think the alerts are beneficial just because they allow you to get the information quicker especially in a situation that could be serious,” he said.

Once those notifications are reaching everybody, emergency management teams and first responders will be able to act in a quicker and more efficient manner.