Yesterday afternoon at 2:18 p.m. FEMA sent the first Presidential Alert Test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. Here at the radio station, just about everybody's phone received the message except mine.

I started wondering why I didn't receive it. After doing some research on the internet, I realized I was not the only one. According to WJZ CBS Baltimore, a lot of people did not receive the alert so they reached out to FEMA.

This is what a spokesman from the agency said in reply to WJZ;

The national EAS and WEA test messages were successfully originated and disseminated through FEMA’s IPAWS to the wireless provider gateways and EAS message servers. All wireless provider gateways acknowledged receipt of the test message.
Additional results from EAS participant station reception and broadcast of the national test message will be collected over the next month and reported later and compared against previous test results.

 

FEMA is committed to continuously improving the national alert and warning systems and supporting local authorities in getting effective and timely warning to people.
Only WEA compatible cell phones that are switched on and within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA will be capable of receiving the test message.

 

Additionally, if a user is on a call, or with an active data session open on their phone, they might not have received the message.

The WJZ CBS Baltimore report went on to say that if you still feel you should have received the alert, you can reach out to FEMA. The government agency would like to hear from people about the test. You can email them at;  FEMA-National-Test@fema.dhs.gov.

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