what is this alarm for today

Today, October 4th, 2023, the US government conducted a nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The test was conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the Federal Communication Commission to ensure that the systems in place continue to be an effective means of warning the public about emergencies at a national level. The test sent a message to every TV, radio, and cell phone in the nation, starting at approximately 2:20 pm ET on Wednesday. The EAS portion of the test sent an emergency alert to all radios and televisions, while the WEA portion of the drill sent an alert to all consumer cell phones. The message that appeared on phones read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed” . The incoming message also made a noise and the phone should have vibrated. People watching broadcast or cable television or listening to the radio heard and saw a message lasting one minute that said: “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…” . In summary, the alarm that went off today was part of a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts, and no action was required after receiving the free message.