§ 10.350 - WEA testing and proficiency training requirements.

§ 10.350 WEA testing and proficiency training requirements.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 86837, Dec. 15, 2023.

Cross Reference

Link to an update of the above amendment published at 89 FR 51265, June 17, 2024.

This section specifies the testing that is required of Participating CMS Providers.

(a) Required monthly tests. Testing of the WEA from the Federal Alert Gateway to each Participating CMS Provider's infrastructure shall be conducted monthly.

(1) A Participating CMS Provider's Gateway shall support the ability to receive a required monthly test (RMT) message initiated by the Federal Alert Gateway Administrator.

(2) Participating CMS Providers shall schedule the distribution of the RMT to their WEA coverage area over a 24 hour period commencing upon receipt of the RMT at the CMS Provider Gateway. Participating CMS Providers shall determine the method to distribute the RMTs, and may schedule over the 24 hour period the delivery of RMTs over geographic subsets of their coverage area to manage traffic loads and to accommodate maintenance windows.

(3) A Participating CMS Provider may forego an RMT if the RMT is pre-empted by actual alert traffic or if an unforeseen condition in the CMS Provider infrastructure precludes distribution of the RMT. A Participating CMS Provider Gateway shall indicate such an unforeseen condition by a response code to the Federal Alert Gateway.

(4) The RMT shall be initiated only by the Federal Alert Gateway Administrator using a defined test message. Real event codes or alert messages shall not be used for the WEA RMT message.

(5) A Participating CMS Provider shall distribute an RMT within its WEA coverage area within 24 hours of receipt by the CMS Provider Gateway unless pre-empted by actual alert traffic or unable due to an unforeseen condition.

(6) A Participating CMS Provider may provide mobile devices with the capability of receiving RMT messages.

(7) A Participating CMS Provider must retain an automated log of RMT messages received by the CMS Provider Gateway from the Federal Alert Gateway.

(b) Periodic C interface testing. In addition to the required monthly tests, a Participating CMS Provider must participate in periodic testing of the interfaces between the Federal Alert Gateway and its CMS Provider Gateway, including the public television broadcast-based backup to the C-interface. This periodic interface testing is not intended to test the CMS Provider's infrastructure nor the mobile devices but rather is required to ensure the availability/viability of both gateway functions. Each CMS Provider Gateway shall send an acknowledgement to the Federal Alert Gateway upon receipt of such interface test messages. Real event codes or Alert Messages shall not be used for this periodic interface testing.

(c) State/Local WEA Testing. A Participating CMS Provider must support State/Local WEA Tests in a manner that complies with the Alert Message Requirements specified in Subpart D.

(1) A Participating CMS Provider's Gateway shall support the ability to receive a State/Local WEA Test message initiated by the Federal Alert Gateway Administrator.

(2) A Participating CMS Provider shall immediately transmit a State/Local WEA Test to the geographic area specified by the alert originator.

(3) A Participating CMS Provider may forego a State/Local WEA Test if the State/Local WEA Test is pre-empted by actual alert traffic or if an unforeseen condition in the CMS Provider infrastructure precludes distribution of the State/Local WEA Test. If a Participating CMS Provider Gateway forgoes a State/Local WEA Test, it shall send a response code to the Federal Alert Gateway indicating the reason.

(4) Participating CMS Providers shall provide their subscribers with the option to opt in to receive State/Local WEA Tests.

(d) Performance and Public Awareness Tests. Participating CMS Providers may participate in no more than two (2) WEA tests per county (or county equivalent), per calendar year that the public receives by default, provided that the entity conducting the test:

(1) Conducts outreach and notifies the public before the test that live event codes will be used, but that no emergency is, in fact, occurring;

(2) To the extent technically feasible, states in the test message that the event is only a test;

(3) Coordinates the test among Participating CMS Providers and with State and local emergency authorities, the relevant SECC (or SECCs, if the test could affect multiple States), and first responder organizations, such as PSAPs, police, and fire agencies); and

(4) Provides in widely accessible formats the notification to the public required by this paragraph that the test is only a test and is not a warning about an actual emergency.

[73 FR 47558, Aug. 14, 2008, as amended at 78 FR 16808, Mar. 19, 2013; 81 FR 75726, Nov. 1, 2016; 88 FR 86837, December 15, 2023; 89 FR 51265, June 17, 2024]