Iowa Residents In This Awful Situation, Turn Off Your Phone Today

This afternoon, phones, televisions, and radios across the country will receive an alert as part of a test of the national emergency system. Even if your phone is on silent or vibration, it will make noise.

Unfortunately, unsafe domestic situations are a reality for people across Iowa, Illinois, and the U.S. People who get that abuse have a secondary phone hidden as a way to possibly get out of that situation. If you or someone you know has a second phone, tell them to turn it off today.

The Feds Are Taking Over Phones. Why?

Federal agencies want to take over your phone to make sure you and the rest of Americans can get alerted in case of any national, regional, or local dangers.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers, and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and maximize the public safety value of the test. An EAS test and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will be conducted.

Cell Phones, Radios, And TVs Will Get Test Messages

The FCC says the WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.

During the summer, you may have heard or seen similar EAS alerts every week on your TV or radio. The EAS portion of Oct. 4th's test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

Turn Off Your Phone If You're In An Unsafe Domestic Situation

Many agencies across the U.S. have made it a point to tell people in unsafe domestic situations who have a secondary phone that could help them to safety to turn that phone off.

One of those agencies sharing that message includes Okmulgee County Emergency Management in Oklahoma. In the social media post, the agency shared that shutting of a phone is the only way to prevent that phone from making a sound during the alert.

As you can see above, the time the alert will go in our time zone (Central) will be at 1:20 p.m.

Be safe out there and know that people are here to help and the national domestic abuse hotline is 800-799-7233.