(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A national test will go out this week to look at the effectiveness of emergency alerts on phones and other media, like on television or over the radio.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it will conduct a national test in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to test the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about the IPAWS National Test 2023:

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023

Time: 2:20 p.m. ET (12:20 p.m. local time)

The test will reach millions of phones via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Alerts will also be made over the radio and on TV via the Emergency Alert System (EAS)

A backup testing date has been slated for Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023

For more information about the test and what to expect, click here.

“Following the test, data from each broadcaster is reported to FEMA by each station’s engineering staff. Tests like these help to identify potential issues in the system, allowing FEMA and broadcast organizations to proactively maintain a vital system to public safety,” wrote FOX21 News Chief Engineer Doug Ducote.

Ducote further explained what can be expected during the national test locally, and why tests like these are so essential to operations.

“People should expect to see messages scroll across the tops of TV screens, hear radio broadcasts get interrupted for the audio message, and have a WEA on their cellphone,” elaborated Ducote. “While this test will be a bit jarring and will interrupt all broadcast services briefly, it is an important part of keeping the system in good shape.”