Austin will participate in an emergency alert test Thursday, with Central Texas residents likely to receive notifications on their electronic devices, according to the city.
Coordinated by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the statewide test targets local emergency alert systems. The city will test its wireless emergency alert system, known as IPAWS, and its regional notification system, Warn Central Texas, which spans 10 counties.
The Capital Area Council of Governments created an alert schedule for the region to avoid simultaneous alerts by neighboring counties.
The city will send its wireless test alert at 11 a.m. and its regional test alert at 11:15 a.m., while Travis County will test at 10:15 a.m., Williamson County at 10:30 a.m. and Hays County at 10:45 a.m.
The alert will be clearly identified as a test and is not tied to any real emergency. Officials say no action is required from the public when the message is received.
The exercise is intended to confirm the system is working properly and to help familiarize residents with what official emergency alerts look and sound like. In real emergencies, the system can be used to deliver geographically targeted warnings about threats such as severe weather, flooding, wildfires or other public safety hazards.
City officials encourage residents to ensure emergency alerts are enabled on their devices so they can receive critical information when it matters most.
“Testing our emergency alert systems ensures system functionality and operational workflows are in place for a real emergency,” Assistant City Manager Ramón Batista wrote in a memo to City Council informing members of the test.