NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – You likely heard your phone beep loudly at least twice Thursday morning. This is because the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) conducted a statewide test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts to mobile devices.
The purpose of the test was to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the system to address the public during times of emergency.
“The purpose of this system is essential to ensure we can communicate to save lives and protect property. We timed today’s test to coincide with the beginning of National Preparedness Month and it was designed to have limited impact on the public,” TEMA said in a statement.
Both TEMA and the National Weather Service (NWS) received multiple calls and messages today regarding the test. Some people only received partial messages and were unaware they were just part of a test.
“In the coming days and weeks TEMA will be reevaluating our protocols and systems. We will not be conducting any public tests of the system in the foreseeable future,” the statement said.
Despite the inconvenience, NWS suggests not disabling the alerts, which could be helpful in a true emergency situation.