An emergency alert system test woke up many Floridians around 4:45 a.m. on Thursday.
“TEST – This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No action is required.”
The message was only a test and was supposed to be on television only and not on other devices.
We know a 4:45 AM wake up call isn't ideal 😅@FLSERT wants to apologize for the early morning text. Each month, we test #emergencyalerts on a variety of platforms. This alert was supposed to be on TV, and not disturb anyone already sleeping.
— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) April 20, 2023
I’ve ordered FL Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to bring swift accountability for the test of the emergency alert system in the wee hours of the morning. This was a completely inappropriate use of this system.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 20, 2023
Stay tuned.
The next system test is planned for Monday, May 22, at 1:50 p.m.
RT if this #emergencyalert woke you up this morning, too! #wftx pic.twitter.com/RSddCgQwUH
— Fox 4 News (@Fox4Now) April 20, 2023
According to the Florida Association of Broadcasters, a test of the emergency alert systems was scheduled for 4:50 a.m. April 20. But it's unclear if alerts should have gone out to phones across Florida.
Every other month, a test of the alert system is scheduled for 4:50 a.m. by the broadcasters. That time alternates with 1:50 p.m. So May's alert will be at 1:50 p.m., but June's alert will be at 4:50 a.m. again.
Following the alert, numerous people on social media said they would be or had already deactivated their emergency alerts to avoid another early wake-up call. In a statement, the National Weather Service in Ruskin said it "STRONGLY" discourages people from doing so.
"Deactivating alerts can prevent people from receiving critical, life-saving weather warnings from the National Weather Service," NWS said. "These weather warnings can often occur when people are sleeping. A NOAA Weather Radio is also recommended as another source of these weather warnings."
