Coming next week: An emergency alert call from President Trump

Sept. 16--Once upon a time, receiving a call from the President of the United States was a rarity enjoyed only by a select few.

Not so much next week.

On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will test for the first time a system that allows the president to send a message to most U.S. cellphones. The message will come with the heading "Presidential Alert."

"The EAS [Emergency Alert System] is a national public warning system that provides the President with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency," FEMA said in a statement posted on its web site Sept. 13.

The test will be made available on radio, television, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and wireline video providers, the agency said. It will last approximately one minute.

If your phone is on, you will hear a tone and vibration twice with an English-only message that says, "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

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The national WEA offers warnings for the public about dangerous weather, missing children and other critical situations through cellphone alerts. The national test will use the same tone and vibration as with an Amber Alert.

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