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FEMA testing National Presidential Alert System Wednesday

Posted at 7:59 AM, Oct 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-03 08:59:25-04

On Wednesday all cell phones in the county will get a major alert. 

It is the first ever test of the National Presidential Alert System and like other nationwide alerts, you cannot opt out of this one. 

The scheduled alert is similar to an Amber Alert or local weather warnings but on a much larger scale. Wednesday's is a test but in the future, the Presidential Alert System will be used in the event of a major crisis. 

"When those messages appear on mobile devices, people should take those extremely seriously," FEMA's Antwane Johnson said. "It has some direct impact on either life or safety."

Shortly after the text alert, there will be a test message on every TV and radio as well.