St. Croix, V.I. – On Tuesday, July 30th, the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) will begin conducting Required Monthly Tests (RMTs) of the territory’s Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) capabilities which includes the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The test will last approximately three minutes. All EAS messages will be issued to radio, television and cable, and WEA messages on mobile phones throughout the territory.

“Disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and active shooter incidents can happen at any time,” said VITEMA Director Daryl D. Jaschen. “In emergencies, the IPAWS notification platform allows VITEMA to provide Virgin Islands residents and visitors with critical response and preparedness information. Additionally, we want to ensure all US Virgin Islands residents become familiar with the alerts and develop confidence that they will work when needed most,” said Jaschen.

To ensure compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements, identify gaps in public emergency notification, and implement solutions, VITEMA will conduct RMTs on the last Tuesday of each month. On even-numbered months, RMTs will be conducted between 5:45 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. On odd-numbered months, RMTs will be conducted between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. See schedule below:

All radio, TV, and cable broadcasters must log receipts and re-broadcast the entire RMT within 60 minutes.

> VITEMA to Begin Conducting Required Monthly Testing of the Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS) (in PDF format)