State apologizes for early morning "Emergency Alert," said it was a mistake
MIAMI - So did you like that early morning wake-up call?
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has apologized for sending out a test of the Emergency Alert System at 4:45 a.m.
It was a mistake.
The department said they test the Emergency Alert System each month on a variety of platforms. They said the Thursday alert was supposed to be on TV, and not disturb anyone sleeping.
The blaring alert caused many to check their phones only to see the text, "TEST - This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No action is required."
According to the Seminole Co. emergency management office, "the State accidentally used the 'Live' screen instead of the 'Test' screen when sending a test alert."
"We are taking the appropriate action to ensure this will never happen again and that only true emergencies are sent as alerts in the middle of the night," the state's Division of Emergency Management posted on Twitter.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a Twitter post that he's ordered Division Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie "to bring swift accountability for the test of the emergency alert system in the wee hours of the morning. This was a completely inappropriate use of this system."
Residents are urged not to turn off alerts on their phones because this is the fastest way to receive tornado warnings, evacuation alerts, or news about hazardous events.