Nationwide Test Alert By FEMA Sweeps Across American Devices

Every cell phone in America blared this afternoon. FEMA sent out a Nationwide Test Alert to every cell phone, TV, and radio to test its ability to warn people in case of an emergency.

News On 6 was at the fair Wednesday afternoon when the alert went out, and people were surprised because the alert went off early. The emergency alert went off at 1:18, two minutes before the scheduled start time of 1:20. A lot of people at the fair knew it was coming as everyone's phone went off at once.

If you were outside at the fair, you might not have heard the loud alert sound on your phone over the sounds of rides and kids screaming. Those inside heard it loud and clear.

"I was actually parking, just got done parking, and the phone went off, got the alert,” said Josh League.

"I was just looking at all the exhibits; it is nice out here, and then the alarm went off at 1:18,” said Al Andrews.

"I was eating, I was on snap too. I was snapping my friends," said Bixby teen Shelby Pellerin.

This was the seventh nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, where everyone with a cell phone, TV, or radio will hear it. We aren't allowed to air the sound because it can only be used for a test or an actual emergency. Even the teenagers were expecting it. We asked Shelby Pellerin if it scared her and she said, "Nah, not really, because I knew what it was going to do, on Tik Tok.

Part of the message said: "The purpose is to maintain and improve alert capabilities at the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels."

"Being able to force feed information through your technology that you pay for, I don't know. It's all in the name of security, but I don't know,” said League.

"I think it is needed in the times we are living in, everybody needs to have an alert on their phone. They need to know. Because you never know when we are going to have to use it. I am a military guy so I understand,” said Andrews.