PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information  202 / 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand  202 / 418-2830
TTY  202 / 418-2555
Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov
ftp.fcc.gov
DA 11-1030
June 9, 2011
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES THAT FIRST EVER 
NATIONWIDE DIAGNOSTIC TEST OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM WILL OCCUR 
ON NOVEMBER 9, 2011 AT 2 PM EST
EB Docket No. 04-296
On February 2, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) amended its 
Part 11 rules governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to provide for national testing of the EAS 
and the collection of data from such tests.1 Newly amended section 11.61(a)(3)(iii) of the Commission 
rules states in relevant part: “Notice shall be provided to EAS Participants by the Commission at least 
two months prior to the conduct of any … national test.”2 The Commission hereby provides notice to all 
EAS participants that the first nationwide test of the EAS will occur on November 9, 2011, at 2 PM EST.
The purpose of the test is to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a mechanism to 
alert the public of emergencies.  Although EAS Participants currently participate in state-level monthly 
tests and local-level weekly tests, there has never been a nationwide test of the system.  The Commission, 
along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will use the results of this test to assess what 
works within the EAS and what does not and working together with EAS stakeholders will make 
improvements to the system as appropriate.
The Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (the Bureau) will continue to 
provide additional information concerning the first nationwide test of the EAS, through the release of 
further public notices.  Please also visit the Bureau’s web page (http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/), which will 
continue to post announcements of all significant developments affecting nationwide EAS testing for 
both EAS Participants and the general public.  The Bureau encourages EAS Participants to take steps, in 
coordination with their State Emergency Coordination Councils, in preparation for this test, such as:
· Reviewing and, if necessary, updating your state’s EAS plans; 
· Reviewing the manner in which you deploy EAS assets – particularly EAS Participant 
encoder/decoder equipment – to ensure end-to-end connections and the required redundancies to 
minimize any single points of failure within your state’s EAS architecture;
  
1 See Review of the Emergency Alert System, EB Docket No. 04-296, Third Report and Order, 26 FCC Rcd 1460 
(2011)(Third R&O).
2 47 C.F.R. § 11.61(a)(3)(iii).
2
· Ensuring that your EAS equipment operates in compliance with FCC rules.
For further information regarding this test, contact Lisa Fowlkes, Deputy Bureau Chief, Public 
Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-7452; Tom Beers, Chief, Policy Division, Public 
Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-0952; or Gregory Cooke, Associate Chief, Policy 
Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-2351.
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