Television and radio will be interrupted tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 9 for a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

The test will occur over all broadcast TV stations, radio stations and video providers, including cable and satellite operators.

The test will begin at 2 p.m. and last up to three and a half minutes, according to a letter from Charter sent to the Polk County Manager’s office.

The national test will be conducted jointly through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) which are the three federal agencies that have EAS management responsibilities.

The EAS has been in existence over 15 years, but there has never been a nationwide, end-to-end test of the system. The nationwide test is being conducted to verify the reliability of the EAS system and its effectiveness in alerting the public on a national scale.

“The upcoming national test is critical in ensuring the EAS works as designed,” said Jamie Barnett, Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. “As recent disasters here at home and Japan have reminded us, a reliable and effective emergency alert and warning system is key to ensuring the public’s safety during times of emergency.”

Going forward the FCC will likely require annual tests of the system and plans to give the public two months notice.