The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), yesterday conducted a nation-wide test of the Presidential Alert feature of its Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. 

While there have been previous tests of the alert system, and wireless AMBER Alerts concerning missing children or dangerous weather conditions have been sent out for years, this is the first time that the alert system feature that permits the nation-wide communication of a national emergency situation has been tested.