At about 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday, a nationwide emergency alert test was sent to Americans' cell phones.
At the Santa Maria Town Center mall, the alert caused dozens of people to stop in their tracks.
Although many people we spoke to said they knew the alert was coming, they were still startled by its sound.
“Me and my girlfriend came to the mall for the day out. We were in the arcade and all of a sudden we heard blaring everywhere coming from our phones,” said Arroyo Grande resident Aiden Roy.
“First, I checked my phone because it was going nuts,” said Kenneth Guge, owner of Leisure Time Games at the Santa Maria Town Center. “So I had to check it to get it to stop doing what it was doing, but I knew that it was coming.”
Those who knew about Wednesday’s alert say they heard about it on the radio, news, or social media, while others were caught completely by surprise.
“My parents got a little scared, and I just had to explain that it was just a test, that is all it is,” said Chrissie Aparicio, who was visiting the mall Wednesday.
“I felt the vibration on my phone and thought it was a text. But actually, it was an alert, an emergency alert. So it was kind of strange to see. I thought, ‘What is this? What is going on?'’’ said Santa Maria resident Rachel Navarrette.
The emergency notifications that went out to cell phones across the country stated in all caps, “THIS IS A TEST.” Regardless, Rachel Navarrette says she immediately thought the worst.
“Kind of a little concerned really. Because, I saw the alert, and right away my mind went to thinking something happened at a school because we had this alert going on,” she said. “But I didn’t really read the whole thing.”
According to FEMA, the notifications were sent out nationwide to ensure that their Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts are operational during a national crisis.
And while some say the noise could be a nuisance, they understand why these drills are put in place.
“It is definitely reassuring, for sure,” Roy said.
“On the radio yesterday I heard about it. They were talking about how they were going to turn their phones off, but I thought, it is just an alert,” Aparicio added.
The alert was sent out in either English or Spanish and was accompanied by a tone and vibration that could be heard by the entire public, including those with disabilities.
