Emergency test alert is set to ping cell phones nationwide. Here’s how to activate yours
An emergency test alert will go out to cell phones nationwide Wednesday morning, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services said in a social media post.
But you need to turn on a special setting to receive it.
According to the agency, the alert is a “wireless emergency alert” that functions similarly to text messages. They are sent to enabled cell phones in the vicinity of an emergency that requires the public to act.
The alerts include a unique sound and vibration that is repeated twice. Consumers are not charged when they receive an alert.
San Luis Obispo County residents will receive the test alert at 11:20 a.m.
Cell phone users can activate test alerts and customize their alert settings in the system preferences of their device. Here’s how to do it by device.
For iPhone users:
Go to settings.
Click on notifications.
Scroll down to government alerts.
Turn on test alerts and select any others you would like.
For Android users:
Go to apps.
Click on emergency alerts.
Click on menu.
Click on settings.
Click on alert types.
Select your which alerts you would like to be on or off.
For more information on wireless emergency alerts, visit prepareslo.org/en/wireless-emergency-alerts.aspx.
