This past October 4th, the federal government ran a test alarm on the entire territory of the United States in order to test the Wireless National Emergency Alarm system. All cellular phones received a text message at 2:20 pm, accompanied by a loud and unique sound. This might have seemed strange to many, but it was a necessary procedure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implemented to: “Ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.” – FEMA statement.
Despite this explanation, conspiracy theories escalated, with people saying things such as:
“An emergency broadcast system test on Oct. 4 will send a signal to cell phones nationwide in order to activate nanoparticles such as graphene oxide that have been introduced into people’s bodies.”
They seemed to genuinely worry that this alarm had deeper intentions than just a safety test:
“TURN YOUR PHONE OFF OCTOBER 4, 2:20pm FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES! GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT KIND OF MALWARE THIS CORRUPT GOVERNMENT WILL BE DOWNLOADING TO YOUR PHONES IF YOU LEAVE THEM ON DURING THIS “TEST”! FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test…” -Twitter users
To which FEMA responded that this claim is false and backed up that there are no known adverse health effects from the signal.
Even though some were startled, or even shocked by the alarm’s shrieking sound, the theories seem a bit far-fetched.
FEMA responded with clarity as the theories continued to rapidly spread. They confirmed that the test would occur amidst concerns. To back themselves up against wild conspiracy, FEMA asserted that they have run emergency alerts for the past 10 years and will continue to do so. They have successfully responded to more than 1300 major disasters and emergencies since their inception in 1979.
