The City of Chula Vista will participate in the first nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert System this month to determine its speed, reliability, and accuracy in geographically targeted areas.
The city is one of 42 public safety agencies across the nation to partner with the Federal Communications Commission. Anyone within 0.7 miles of 315 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista CA 91910 on Sept. 12 will receive an emergency alert on their cell phone that will read “TEST”.
Residents within the designated testing area are encouraged to provide feedback on https://www.fcc.gov/wea.
City officials say the text message alert will be similar to an AMBER alert. The test of the Wireless Emergency Alert System comes during National Preparedness Month.
“Conducting this test will help public safety officials collect data to refine the WEA system and ensure it is performing as intended. Simply put, public safety agencies want to know that emergency alerts will reliably reach the public throughout—but not beyond—targeted areas during emergencies. These local tests, which are the latest in a recent series of FCC efforts to strengthen WEAs, will provide local public safety agencies with greater insight into alert performance so that this tool can be used to its fullest potential to help keep communities safe,” the city wrote in a statement.
Community members are urged to evaluate their level of personal preparedness and take action toward improving individual preparedness if necessary. Resources are available to develop a Family Disaster Plan, Know Your Hazards, and register for AlertSanDiego to receive important messages from public safety officials. For more helpful disaster preparedness tips, visit ReadySanDiego.org.
