By Mike Ellis
Anderson Independent-Mail
WASHINGTON — In the 15 years since the Emergency Alert System began barging in on TV programs with crisis information and drills, the system has never had a coast-to-coast national test.
The first-ever national alert will last about 30 seconds and start Wednesday at 2 p.m.
The message will blare across televisions and radios around the United States. On TV sets the message will have, in most cases, a solid color and a banner reading: “This is a test.”
Not every cable or satellite company will flash that exact message but most will, according to the Federal Communication Commission, which is one of the agencies running the drill.
Emergency responders in Anderson County say they are prepared for a sudden increase in 911 calls around the time of the alert. County officials have said that local officers, deputies, EMS workers, dispatchers, firefighters, hospital workers and others are ready for the drill.
“We will monitor this event only to see how well it works,” said Taylor Jones, director of emergency operations for Anderson County.
The alert system can be used for kidnappings, natural disasters, weather emergencies and national security crises, among other situations. It is most often used for local or state emergencies and has rarely been employed in more than a few states at a time, which is one of the reasons federal officials gave for having a drill.
The date was picked in an effort to avoid the hurricane season and to come before severe winter weather, while being during a workday.
A predecessor to the current alert system, the Emergency Broadcast System was launched in 1963. The current system covers TV and radio but is adapted by many others including websites and text alert services.
The alerts will go out to state-level emergency providers who will filter it down to local responders. Every part of the emergency response apparatus in the country will be required to report when it received the national alert, when it rebroadcast the alert and whether there were any problems.
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