Florida apologizes for sending emergency alert test at 4:45 a.m.
The early morning alert was a test, but the outrage was real.
New York CNN
The alarm was not a real alert, but a test.
The Emergency Alert System notified many in Florida at 4:45 am on Thursday: "TEST" - This is an Emergency Alert System TEST. No action is needed.
Florida Division of Emergency Management apologized to the public for sending out the test so early.
We know that a wake-up call at 4:45 am isn't ideal. FLSERT apologizes for the text sent so early in the morning, says the agency. We test #emergencyalerts every month on different platforms. This alert was meant to be broadcast on television, so as not to disturb people who are already asleep.
The agency said: "We will take the necessary action to make sure that this never happens again, and only real emergencies are sent out as alerts at night."
According to the Florida Association of Broadcasters, early morning tests will be conducted throughout the year. A 4:50 am alert is scheduled for June.
Floridians vented their frustrations on social media Thursday over the unexpected alarm they received in the early morning. 'Emergency Broadcast System" was trending all across the nation.
Others called for the firing of those responsible and insulted them. Some people shared tips on how to disable alerts in the future. One local news outlet even tried to take advantage of the situation.