Austin becoming FEMA-approved emergency alert authority, planning 1st test alert

Editor’s note: The above video is from previous, related coverage that was first reported on KXAN on August 26, 2025.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austinites will receive a test emergency alert on Monday, Sept. 29, as the city of Austin becomes a FEMA-approved authority that can use the national emergency alert system IPAWS.

IPAWS, which stands for Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, is a federally regulated system that allows jurisdictions to contact the public via cell phone towers, television, and radio without requiring any service subscriptions, according to the city. It’s FEMA’s national system for local alerts that provide authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public.

IPAWS uses Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to contact cell phones within a geotargeted area and can send messages to televisions and radio stations via the Emergency Alerts System (EAS).  

According to the city of Austin, only Texas counties could become alerting authorities through FEMA, until recently. Now, more large cities are going through the process of becoming an IPAWS Alerting Authority.

The Ready.Gov website notes that Alerting Authorities authorized to send WEAs include state, local, tribal, and territorial public safety officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the President of the United States.

To become an alerting authority, the city of Austin must regularly test the IPAWS system to verify that both the WEA and EAS systems function properly across different platforms, and so that the public knows what the alerts will look and sound like.

Austin is a unique alerting authority because its city limits stretch into three counties: Travis, Hays, and Williamson. The city of Austin will have to contact emergency management staff in each county to arrange an IPAWS alert to be sent out, if needed.

Test alert planned for Sept. 29

The Austin Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HSEM) will conduct a coordinated test of both the EAS and WEA systems on Monday, Sept. 29, around 3 p.m. across the entire city in all three counties.

The test message will be broadcast via radio, television, and cable outlets through the EAS, and a WEA message will be sent to compatible mobile phones at the same time. The alerts will clearly state that they are part of a test, and no action is required from the public.

The city noted in a press release that because Austin’s city limits stretch through three counties and because of how cell towers and signals operate, the test alerts may “bleed into areas in these counties beyond the city limits.”

More information about this test and the emergency alert system can be found at ReadyCentralTexas.org. 

About the Alert Systems

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning tool that allows federal, state, and local authorities to interrupt radio, television, and cable broadcasts with important emergency information. 

The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system allows authorized agencies to send short emergency messages directly to cell phones in targeted geographic areas. These alerts appear on devices similar to a text message, accompanied by a distinct tone and vibration. 

More information about the alerts can be found at Ready.Gov/alerts, along with tips on how to troubleshoot a mobile device that is not receiving WEAs.