Local television viewers and radio listeners are being advised that a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The alert sounded this afternoon will be just a test of the system and not the indicator of a true emergency. The system is routinely tested on state and local levels, but this is the first nationwide test of the system, which has been in place in its current form since 1994.
The test will last about 30 seconds and is being conducted by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Since a national alert has never been issued, government officials are wanting to test the effectiveness of the system and work out any problems. The system exists to alert citizens of critical information in case of an emergency.