National Civil Defense Test?

[TheManBornWithin]

My mom was listening to my scanners today, and she heard all kinds of tones around 14:00. She said at the end of the tones (about a minute's worth), there was a message, something along the lines of:

This has been a test of the National Civil Defense Warning system. This was only a test, do not set off your sirens. If you heard this test, please call or mail in your acknowledgment.

Did anyone else hear this? I've never heard it, and that was the first time she's heard it. She didn't look at the scanner to see what it was announced on. Besides having Ocean County EMS/Fire and LBI freqs, I have SPEN 1-4 in there, and I'd assume it would be one of the SPEN channels, but I can't be sure.

 

[elias1988]

Think the dispatcher ment to say civil defense network test,its a common thing in Ocean County thats tested every couple of months;all the tones went over 508.1875 .Also the dispatcher that did the test is fairly new to the communications center.

 

[TheManBornWithin]

I've never heard them say that before. I would guess that if we were under attack, then they would do a civil defense warning? Or am I completely off base?

 

[elias1988]

I think the sirens will blow and something will be on the Emergency Alert System.

 

[nosoup4u]

Today is the "Checkerboard" tests. Maybe that is what she heard.

 

[mikea7531]

Yup, today was checkerboard, got my phone call from my PD today stating the test was done.

 

[ecps92]

CheckerBoard is language for NAWAS. You might want to check this forum http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67339&highlight=nawas
and/or search the forums for NAWAS.

Wikipedia has a good breakdown on it too.

My mom was listening to my scanners today, and she heard all kinds of tones around 14:00. She said at the end of the tones (about a minute's worth), there was a message, something along the lines of:

This has been a test of the National Civil Defense Warning system. This was only a test, do not set off your sirens. If you heard this test, please call or mail in your acknowledgment.

Did anyone else hear this? I've never heard it, and that was the first time she's heard it. She didn't look at the scanner to see what it was announced on. Besides having Ocean County EMS/Fire and LBI freqs, I have SPEN 1-4 in there, and I'd assume it would be one of the SPEN channels, but I can't be sure.

 

[fineshot1]

My mom was listening to my scanners today, and she heard all kinds of tones around 14:00. She said at the end of the tones (about a minute's worth), there was a message, something along the lines of:

This has been a test of the National Civil Defense Warning system. This was only a test, do not set off your sirens. If you heard this test, please call or mail in your acknowledgment.

Did anyone else hear this? I've never heard it, and that was the first time she's heard it. She didn't look at the scanner to see what it was announced on. Besides having Ocean County EMS/Fire and LBI freqs, I have SPEN 1-4 in there, and I'd assume it would be one of the SPEN channels, but I can't be sure.

I heard it on OC OEM 1 VHF(154.965) Fire Marshal repeater.

 

[n2kej]

I did not realize the NAWAS test could be heard over the radio. Or is it just during checkerboard notifications?
We have the NAWAS phone in Salem County and it is hardwired. and checkerboard notifications are done over phone
Does it always go out over radio in other Counties?

Steve N2KEJ

 

[ecps92]

Depending on your Department and the Warning Point [Primary / Alternate] , the Fan-Out [Notification] procedures might have been a Phone Call [my Alt WP had that, as the Notifications were to the EMA Directors] or over the Radio [my Pri WP had that, as the Notifications were to the Fire/Police Chiefs] and that was the quickest procedure to notify the Dispatch Centers.

Some might [across the country] patch in the phone, but it's most likely the Fan-out you are hearing as the Notifications make there way across the City/County/State.

I did not realize the NAWAS test could be heard over the radio. Or is it just during checkerboard notifications?
We have the NAWAS phone in Salem County and it is hardwired. and checkerboard notifications are done over phone
Does it always go out over radio in other Counties?

Steve N2KEJ

 

[ScanMan055]

Civil Defense Network Test (March 25, 2015)

This morning (March 25, 2015) I heard Burlington County, NJ set off a series of dispatch/pager tones on the Fire-EMS dispatch channel and then make an announcement "This is a test of the Civil Defense Network. Do not blow sirens!"

I think they use Civil Defense Network and Emergency Alert System inter-changeably. I actually hear this a few times a year.

 

[nr2d]

When I could still to the PDs in south east Camden County I used to hear that every so often. The dispatcher would say something like this is a test of the emergency management alert system. They would tell what ever officer that was responsible for these alerts to notify their emergency management coordinator and then the dispatcher would take a roll call of all of the police departments.

 

[Analogrules]

I actually wouldn't be surprised to hear this test on the old Camden County VHF frequencies. If there was a ever a major emergency (God forbid), they may use those older frequencies for better interop communications and range. Unfortunately, it may take a major emergency for them to realize just how crappy range is on the newer digital frequencies. I have spoken to retired County officers who have told me that their radios were so much better when they used VHF. They had clearer signals and much better range. Also, ALL the other police departments in the county already had access to those frequencies, so interop communication was never a problem.