On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) conducted a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) . The test was conducted in two parts, with one set to go to cell phones and the other to radio and TV stations. The EAS message stated: "This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public". The WEA message appeared on the screen of the recipients handset as a text-like message and was accompanied by a unique attention signal and vibration. The alert was sent to all TVs, radios, and cell phones in the nation. The purpose of the test was to ensure that the EAS and WEA systems are working properly and to assess their effectiveness in alerting the public in the event of an emergency.