Alert SouthBay, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), will conduct a test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) capability for the South Bay Region on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at approximately 11:20 a.m. PST.

The regional test will consist of testing WEA and registered subscribers in the Alert SouthBay Regional Program. Both are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at approximately 11:20 a.m. PST.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to consumer cell phones. While this is not the first test of the WEA system nationwide, it is the first test of the Alert SouthBay Regional System and its capability.

The test aims to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies.

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be issued via a code sent to cell phones.

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the regionwide WEA test:

• At approximately 11:20 a.m. PST, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and in a geographic area where the wireless provider participates in WEA should be capable of receiving the test message.
• For consumers, the message on their phones will read: "THIS IS A TEST of the Alert SouthBay Regional Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed. For information about this alert, please visit www.alertsouthbay.com”
• Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Regional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”
• Similar to when your phone receives an Amber Alert, the WEA alert tone is generally only played when the alert is initially received by the phone and, on some devices, stops as soon as the user clicks a button.
• If a phone is off before the test alert is sent and not turned back on until after the WEA Test expires (approximately 30 minutes), the phone should not get the test message.
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WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, a unique tone and vibration accompany the alerts.

For information about registering for emergency alerts or frequently asked questions, please visit https://alertsouthbay.com.