Wednesday (Oct. 3) we're going to hear everyone's phone go off with an alert at the same time and no one can opt out.  The test had been planned for Sept. 20, but it was postponed because of Hurricane Florence.  

The text message from President Trump will be a test this time, but it's designed to give the President a way to reach everyone in case there is a "natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster or threat to public safety."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission plans to test the feature at 1:18 p.m. tomorrow, and there's no ignoring it. We're going to hear the alert going off simultaneously at places like your dentist's office, Broadway Square Mall, all over the UT-Tyler campus and anywhere there is a person with a phone.

With Amber Alerts and Thunderstorm Warnings we can disable the alerts and opt out, but with the Presidential Alert, there is no option to bypass it.  There are over 100 wireless carriers across the country that have agreed to send the alerts to customers, and there are some worries about how that's going to play out in schools, movie theaters, and meetings at the office if everyone's phone is going off at the same time.  The Huffington Post said Twitter started using the hashtag #GoDark920, to encourage us to power down cell phones to avoid getting the alert.

So remember, there might be an interruption at your 1 pm meeting tomorrow.  And if our mics are live at the radio station at that time you're gonna hear our phones going off too.  That might be weird.

We'll keep you updated right here on everything that affects the workday, like snack news, the most effective way to ask for a raise, stress relief, our contest that gives you the chance to win up to $5000, and those alerts too.  Now back to work...

More From KKTX FM