DC Area Conducts WEA Test With Some Gaps as Officials Seek Public Input
The District of Columbia and 19 other nearby jurisdictions tested the wireless emergency alert system Thursday morning through the Washington Metro Council of Governments (COG). Some didn’t get the alerts, even though they were well within the region. By afternoon, about 12,000 people responded to a survey, D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency acting Director Chris Rodriguez told us. The FCC also seeks some input.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
“I haven't heard much of anything yet,” COG Chairman Matt Letourneau told us. “I think it will take a little time to aggregate the feedback that is coming in.” Letourneau's on the Loudon County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors.
“Overall, we saw this test as an overwhelming success here in the District of Columbia,” Rodriguez said. “Our objective to ensure that the capability worked, that we were able to disseminate messaging to the public in a very efficient and expeditious way. From an operational standpoint, all jurisdictions … successfully executed the message in the system.” The ability to test the WEA system “is absolutely critical,” he said.
Rodriguez encouraged those who didn’t get a warning message to fill out COG's online survey. “We’re going to work with the FCC and the carriers to take back lessons from this exercise and implement any type of changes to process or policy that we might need to do in the future,” Rodriguez said. In the event of disaster, D.C. would never rely on just WEAs, he said. Warnings will go out over TV and radio, through AlertDC and on social media, he said. “There are a variety of ways to communicate with the public.”
Wireless carriers sent out the alerts in the morning, accompanied by several warning beeps on the customer’s smartphone. “Emergency Alert,” said typical message, sent out at 11:10 a.m., somewhat later than the 10-11 a.m. window. “A test of the Prince Georges County Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action required.” The test largely appeared to go as planned, industry officials said. It’s always hard to know why there are gaps, one official said: “Some people have older devices” or their phones may be off.
“Now that the test of the … system has been completed, local government emergency managers need to hear from you and get your feedback to determine the effectiveness of the test,” COG said. The survey closes April 13.
The test “demonstrates the critical role that wireless plays in keeping our communities safe,” CTIA said. “Since 2012, more than 36,000 wireless emergency alerts have helped local public safety professionals keep us informed during emergencies, saving lives and property across the United States. CTIA and our member companies will continue working closely with public safety stakeholders to ensure WEA remains a trusted public safety tool.” The major wireless carriers didn’t comment.
“Counting down to 10 a.m. test today of Wireless Emergency Alerts system,” tweeted Montgomery County, Maryland. “It's taking place in 20 local jurisdictions & expected to reach 5.2 million people in Metro-area.” The county later tweeted: "If you did or didn't get a WEA message on your cell phone this morning, we need to hear from you!”
“Did you hear the loud buzz?” Fairfax County, Virginia tweeted. "Yep, the Wireless Emergency Alert alert is loud. That’s the point!” tweeted the D.C. homeland security department. “We need to communicate with you during an emergency. Tell us your thoughts about the test we just did.”