October 4th Emergency Alert Testing

[Rose H-H]

From our contact at the Boulder Office of Disaster Management:


 Hello preparedness partners!
 
I wanted to share the following information regarding tomorrow’s test of IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) conducted by FEMA.  FEMA and the FCC will be conducting a nationwide emergency alert test tomorrow (Wednesday, October 4[sup]th[/sup], around 12:20pm MST).  The test alert will be sent through cellphones, tv, and radio, and will share that the message is a test and that no action is required.
 
A banner with this information is on our homepage at www.BoulderODM.gov, and posts have been made to our Facebook and Twitter as well with each linking to the press release with full details.
 
I know a good bit of information has been being shared regarding this test over the past weeks, so apologies if this is redundant information.  If you have any questions please let me know, and if you’re able to share this information out with community members and colleagues that you have touch points with (or serve as a resource point if people ask about it) that would be wonderful to help ease the types of questions that this test may bring up.
 
Thank you!
 
Monika
 
Monika Weber
Boulder Office of Disaster Management
3280 Airport Road
Boulder, CO 80301
O: 303-441-3647  C: 720-520-7602
mweber@bouldercounty.gov

[Nancy Farmer]

Am I the only one that didn't get the alert? I heard them going off on other people's phones at work, but not aq peep from mine. (I was on wifi - could that be why?)

[Rose H-H]

Interesting question, Nancy!  Mine didn't go off, but I was out on a walk away from signal.  I'll ask Monika.  Thanks for the info!

[CheyenneWills]

Some phones have a setting that turns off test alerts

[Nancy Farmer]

I do get Amber Alerts and Weather Alerts, so I was surprised when I didn't get the test one.

[Stanistan]

 

Hi Nancy,
Wi-Fi (data) phone connections are different than a cell signal.
There were those that didn't get the alert because of some of their settings also.
And some phones were simply shut off...lol.

When Kent and I were growing up, we helped run the phone company in a small South Central Nebraska village,
which our Grandfather started in 1905.  We had a crank magneto plant until I was 10, 1958,
when we converted to rotary dial.  I used to sit on the operator's lap and plug in when
the calls came in, saying 'Number Please'. I would then plug into that number and toggle
the rings, maybe a long and 2 shorts, as some of the Platte River lines had 8 phones on
one twisted pair.
There was a switch on the stamped metal ceiling with a long string hanging down.
I got to sit on the operators lap, reach up and pull the switch, which triggered the
siren in the park across the street.  That went off at 7am, noon and 6pm everyday setting the
rhythm for 560 folks.  And it was used for fires and tornado's. 
The operator was Gossip Central of course....lol.

Great fun and quite different than our modern alerts.

Stanley Weeks

[Nancy Farmer]

Thanks for the perspective, Stan! It probably was my settings, but I should investigate to make sure that I can get those emergency alerts. Sure do miss your brother around these parts.

[Stanistan]

Thanks for the perspective, Stan! It probably was my settings, but I should investigate to make sure that I can get those emergency alerts. Sure do miss your brother around these parts.

Sure enough, but those new phones are a complex load.
A far cry from the old Oak box with brass corners I climbed up the poles with (still have it of course)
Our two sisters are visiting at the Estes Cabin this weekend, so his memory is in our thoughts.