Pandemonium Erupts In Briefing Room As Comically Persistent Emergency Alert Test Keeps Interrupting From Every Device

Pandemonium erupted in the White House briefing room when a test of the National Wireless Emergency System kept interrupting– and interrupting– and interrupting.

We can’t say we weren’t warned — the FCC and FEMA posted reminders letting people know that “FEMA, in coordination with the FCC, will conduct a nationwide test of both Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Emergency Alert System at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. The WEA test alert will be sent to mobile phones nationwide.”

But if you were anywhere near a phone — or a tablet or probably those refrigerators with the TV screen that shows you what’s inside the refrigerator — at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday and were also about to take a sip of coffee, you probably spilled it on yourself when every device in the house went off simultaneously.

The various cell phones and tablets at Wednesday’s White House press briefing were not exempt, as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted at the top of the briefing.

“So, I know there’s a national emergency alerts that supported to potentially — or alert system that’s supposed to start at 2:20 at a rolling basis. So, hopefully we can get through it,” KJP said.

But when the time came, no one was prepared for the comical frequency and duration of the test(s):

But we also believe that it is fundamentally important to our own national security as well as — as supporting the brave people of Ukraine — to continue that support. It is.

(A test of the National Wireless Emergency System is heard.)

Oh, there you go. Okay, thanks, everybody. I’m just kidding. (Laughter.)

Q I turned mine off.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. It’s — I know, it’s long.

Q It works.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It works. Every couple of years, folks.

Q Your last statement set off the alarm.

Q Can I please follow up on that (inaudible) —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Hmm?

Q Your last statement set off the alarm. (Laughter.)

(A test of the National Wireless Emergency System is heard.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t even know what I — was last statement. But go ahead.

(Cross-talk.)

Q It’s a rolling alarm.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead, Patsy.

Q It’s delayed?

Q Thank you —

The alarms continued, but then seemed to stop — until:

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And so, you know, the President said he’s going to give a major speech. I’m not going to get ahead of him. (A test of the National Wireless Emergency System is heard.) He’ll lay that out for all of you. We certainly will share when it will happen — the time and day of when that will happen. I just don’t have anything beyond — beyond that.

Go ahead, Gerren.

Q Thanks, Karine. Two topics.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This is quite something.

Q This is going to be a good test. (Laughter.)

Watch above via The White House.