what is the national alarm for

The national alarm is a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) that is conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. The test is designed to allow the president to speak to the American people within ten minutes during a national emergency via specific outlets such as radio and television. The test messages are sent to all cellphones, televisions, and radios, and the alert message reads: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed” . The test is conducted annually or biennially to ensure that the emergency messaging system is running smoothly in the event Americans are threatened by natural disasters, terrorism, or other dangers to public safety.