Today at 1:18 PM CDT, FEMA and the FCC will send a TEST Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) message to nearly all wireless devices in the United States.
This is a "Presidential Alert". You can not turn off a Presidential Alert. You CANNOT "opt out" of the test either.
What This Means For You: If your phone is turned on, within range of an active cell tower and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, the phone should be capable of receiving the message. This means just about every phone at your work place will receive the text at 1:18 PM CDT (10/3), which will likely set off an audible alarm for a short time.
The message header will be "Presidential Alert". The message text will be: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
NOTE: The National Weather Service has nothing to do with this test. This test will not trigger NOAA Weather Radios.