DC to Test Emergency System ahead of July 4th

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/ahead-of-fourth-of-july-dc-to-test-emergency-alert-system/2019/06/21/e4cf319a-944b-11e9-aadb-74e6b2b46f6a_story.html?utm_term=.715a46d2a7bf

By Laurel Demkovich June 21 at 3:15 PM

Residents and visitors to the District on Saturday can expect a loud push alert to their phones as the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency tests its Wireless Emergency Alerts system.

The alert will go out between 11 and 11:30 a.m. to anyone in the vicinity of the Mall and will involve a vibration and a loud noise. It will also include a message: “This is a test of the District of Columbia Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action required.”

The purpose of the test is to evaluate the ability to send information during an emergency to a specific geographic area, said the agency’s director, Christopher Rodriguez.

[Here’s what we know about Trump’s Fourth of July plans]

The test comes less than two weeks ahead of the Fourth of July celebrations when President Trump plans to give an address at the Lincoln Memorial.

There is no known threat or concern regarding the Fourth of July, Rodriguez said, but the District tries to test the system at least once a year. The last test took place in April 2018. The District also tested it before the 2016 inauguration.

“Before any major event in the District, when appropriate, we want to use that opportunity to test this capability,” Rodriguez said.