# Emergency Alert System Tests **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 20, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491 "2015-03-20T14:57:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/1 "2015-03-20T14:57:48Z")
Early this morning was the second EAS test this week, and one of several in recent months. The test consists of a large crawler on the top of the TV screen, with a lengthy message, followed by “Message will exit automatically” and “Effective until 3:00.” Except it goes on and on, for hours, way beyond the stated exit time. While it’s on, it’s not possible to change channels, nor even play a previously-recorded show on my Tivo. The only way out is to unplug everything and reboot the system. First of all, what kind of crappy system is this, that needs to be “tested” so often, and whose test never quits? And you’d think a simple 5-minute test would suffice, instead of something so intrusive. And why bother listing a cut-off time, if it is extended hours beyond that time? According to the EAS web site, “The next test will assess the effectiveness of mitigation strategies and the successfulness of implementing the EAS Test After-Action Report and Improvement Plan recommendations.” (written in 2011) Yeah, right. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/2 "2015-03-20T15:31:30Z")
i don’t know of your particular event. the EAS has weekly and monthly tests foe different purposes. a fire department might run the fire engines daily, not because they are crappy but you want to make sure they will always work. the same with severe weather sirens, they get tested once a week usually. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/3 "2015-03-20T15:42:02Z")
They don’t normally last long, maybe 30 seconds max. If rebooting your TiVo or whatever makes the test go away, then apparently the test is screwing up your system and causing it to get stuck somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/4 "2015-03-20T16:56:24Z")
Uh oh. Maybe there’s something _they’re_ not telling us. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/5 "2015-03-20T18:48:52Z")
There are some regular tests you know about, like in George Bush’s town the test the nucular plant sirens every Monday @ noon. What happens if there’s a meltdown @ 11:59, or if there’s an actual fire on the day of the planned fire drill; how many people would ignore it thinking it’s the scheduled test? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/6 "2015-03-20T18:52:24Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > What happens if there’s a meltdown @ 11:59, or if there’s an actual fire on the day of the planned fire drill; how many people would ignore it thinking it’s the scheduled test? They have a different sound on the alarms for the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/7 "2015-03-20T19:51:59Z")
It’s fun when they test the emergency system at work. Work phones ring, cell phones ring, a listserv message comes in, a red bar comes up on the homepage, and the emergency address system can be heard all through town. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/8 "2015-03-20T19:57:27Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They have a different sound on the alarms for the real thing. I’ve never heard of this (though I live outside of an emergency siren area); I wonder what percentage of the public doesn’t know about it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/9 "2015-03-20T20:35:50Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I’ve never heard of this (though I live outside of an emergency siren area); I wonder what percentage of the public doesn’t know about it. Perhaps it is a local thing, but one would think that a national warning system (The Russians have lobbed one at us) would be the same. I have not seen it advertised, either, but the sirens rise and fall in a test. If there really is one on the way, they are constant. I believe the few tornado warnings I’ve heard were constant, but I was busy climbing to the roof to get a better view. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/10 "2015-03-20T22:48:31Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Perhaps it is a local thing, but one would think that a national warning system (The Russians have lobbed one at us) would be the same. I have not seen it advertised, either, but the sirens rise and fall in a test. If there really is one on the way, they are constant. I believe the few tornado warnings I’ve heard were constant, but I was busy climbing to the roof to get a better view. The other end of the county has a nuke plant, a prison, & volunteer FD, I couldn’t tell you any difference, especially between the first two, which are both conditions that I should take some action upon hearing. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/11 "2015-03-21T00:31:23Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They have a different sound on the alarms for the real thing. So they never test the real-thing sound? When the Real Thing happens, how can they be sure that the real-thing sound generator will work? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/12 "2015-03-21T00:50:46Z")
As a survivor of Agnew in 72 and a couple other floods and events since them, I don’t care what kind of pain it is ------- THE DAMN THING WORKS. And I can live with that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/13 "2015-03-21T01:04:29Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > When the Real Thing happens, how can they be sure that the real-thing sound generator will work? Run that by again? :dubious: I believe that the little man that waves a fan in front of the siren to make it change noise will run away, and the siren will be a steady sound. Hopefully everyone will realize, “Oh my goodness, a different sound! There must be a real emergency! Run away, run away!” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/14 "2015-03-21T01:05:58Z")
How did we go from warnings on TV to sirens on towers? Is this\* my\* fault? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/15 "2015-03-21T04:41:07Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How did we go from warnings on TV to sirens on towers? > Is this\* my\* fault? > :rolleyes: Yes. See, that was easy. … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/16 "2015-03-22T04:51:23Z")
The test that’s been running lately has no sound whatsoever, just the unending crawler. Maybe that’s why they keep running the test: to get the siren working. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-alert-system-tests/715491/17 "2015-03-22T13:01:01Z")
I’m probably going to be screwed if I’m in a building and it catches fire. As an IT contractor I spend a lot of time in office buildings at night. Which means I have to sit through all their fire alarm testing