New York City Office of Emergency Management
09/10/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/10/2025 15:10
NYCEM To Conduct Citywide Wireless Emergency Alert Test September 18 at 12 PM
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2025
NYCEM TO CONDUCT CITYWIDE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT TEST SEPTEMBER 18 AT 12 PM
NEW YORKERS ENCOURAGED TO OPT IN NOW TO CONFIRM THAT THEIR PHONES ARE READY TO DELIVER LIFE-SAVING INFORMATION WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
NEW YORK - New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) will conduct a citywide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system on Thursday, September 18, at 12:00 p.m.
WEA messages are an essential public safety tool used to keep New Yorkers informed during natural disasters, extreme weather, and other imminent threats. These messages can be targeted to specific neighborhoods, ensuring residents receive urgent, life-saving information quickly and directly on their phones.
This test is opt-in only. Unlike real alerts, residents will only receive this test message if they proactively enable the WEA test setting on their devices. Those who do not enable the WEA test setting on their phone will not know whether their phone can receive real alerts in an emergency. Opting into this test is the only way to confirm someone's device is ready. NYCEM is encouraging all New Yorkers to use this test as an opportunity to learn more about the WEA system and practice receiving alerts.
"Wireless Emergency Alerts save lives, but they only work if your phone is ready," said NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol. "We urge every New Yorker to take one minute now to opt-in and confirm their device is prepared. This simple step is critical to ensuring you receive the messages that can protect you and your family when it matters most."
The WEA test message will clearly indicate that it is a test and will not require any action.
To enable WEA on an iPhone, go to Settings, tap Notifications, scroll to Government Alerts, and switch on Test Alerts. On Android, open Settings, tap Safety & Emergency or Notifications, select Wireless Emergency Alerts, and turn on State and local tests.
New Yorkers may also refer to the following step-by-step instructions to enable WEA tests on your mobile devices here: on.nyc.gov/3Kd7fnS.
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MEDIA CONTACT: NYCEM Press Office (718) 422-4888
STAY CONNECTED: @NotifyNYC (emergency notifications), @nycemergencymgt (emergency preparedness info)
New York City Office of Emergency Management published this content on September 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 10, 2025 at 21:10 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]