There will be a nationwide FEMA emergency alert test today that will make any cell phone that’s on screech like a banshee regardless of whether it’s on silent mode. So secret keepers, don’t forget to turn your second cell phones all the way off by 2:20p ET. abcnews.go.com/US/fema-test... - ThreadSky

nycsouthpaw.bsky.social • 514 days ago

There will be a nationwide FEMA emergency alert test today that will make any cell phone that’s on screech like a banshee regardless of whether it’s on silent mode. So secret keepers, don’t forget to turn your second cell phones all the way off by 2:20p ET. https://abcnews.go.com/US/fema-test-cellphone-emergency-alert-system-wednesday/story?id=103685822

Comments

hazesommer.bsky.social•513 days ago

This is the kind of news I need. My startle reflexes thank you.

asrivkin.bsky.social•514 days ago

Ok, just curious and in case others are too—do you know if airplane mode would work to ward this off, or must the phone be powered down?

nycsouthpaw.bsky.social•514 days ago

The alerts come from the cell towers (the ABC article says the towers will send it for 30m starting at 2:20 ET), so it seems to me airplane mode should work bc it turns off the cell antenna, but you know I wouldn’t bet my life on it.

danielsand.bsky.social•514 days ago

Also, I would make sure you are in a safe space when you turn your phone on.

How many of us have turned their phone on hours later to have an amber alert message scream out of the phone because it was in the que?

I would not be surprised if this worked the same way.

crookedknight.bsky.social•514 days ago

I've seen several warnings that this will happen -- if you block a phone from receiving the alert signal in real time it will just start screaming the next time it's connected to the network.

danielsand.bsky.social•514 days ago

Anecdotal, but I have absolutely gotten off a flight, turned off airplane mode, and be bombarded by an amber alert message that my family got hours earlier.

elsieyork.bsky.social•513 days ago

They did the alert test in UK earlier this year and I had my phone on airplane mode. As soon as I turned it off, I got blasted by the delayed alert. As other say.

harleyhellhound.bsky.social•514 days ago

**Setting an alarm for the alert**
Harley’s gonna go bonkers.

ceejsteak.bsky.social•514 days ago

Additionally my understanding is the alert will sound when you turn it back on, so when you do you need to be somewhere where it's safe to do so.

ohweebeasties.bsky.social•514 days ago

All the middle schoolers are going to be busted for having a phone in class.

thesmart.bsky.social•513 days ago

Would we have gratitude for this test if and when there is an actual emergency?

nycsouthpaw.bsky.social•513 days ago

If it doesn’t work, I guess we’ll be glad to have found that out in a timely fashion

supposedly.bsky.social•513 days ago

Yeah seriously. Imagine if there were a tornado or something like a fast moving fire, and the system failed when it was needed.

docblock.bsky.social•513 days ago

Reminds me of somebody on Twitter’s story about their dad grounding them when they were a kid so they got back at him by asking why he had a second cell phone at family dinner that night