MASSIVE EMERGENCY ALERT TEST – OCTOBER 4, 2023

*** GENERAL QST MESSAGE ***

On Wednesday, October 4 at 14:20 hours ET (12:20 hours Mountain), every TV, radio and cellphone in the United States should receive an electronic warning tone of an emergency alert, accompanied by a notice similar to the following:

“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.”

This test is being run by FEMA to ensure the system is in working order on a national scale.  Local agencies will be participating with FEMA in conducting this test.  This test is being conducted to make sure the national alert system is still an effective means to warn American citizens about emergencies, natural catastrophes, attacks and accidents at the national level.

Salt Lake County ARES will conduct an emergency check-in net immediately following the announcements sent from FEMA.  The check-in net will be conducted on our primary SLCo ARES repeater, 146.700 MHz (100 Hz PL Standard Load ARES1 channel 72).  All stations wishing to participate on this net may do so using normal net-control protocols.  We will also be using our simplex frequency of 147.540 MHz (ARES3 channel 74) to simulate the use-case of the repeater going down during the net.  If you do not hear net control on the repeater this means that we have moved to the simplex frequency.

Any questions about this event, please contact Dan Lundwall via email, n7xdl.dan@gmail.com.