On Oct. 3 at 1:18 p.m., we all received a message on our phones saying, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” This is the first test of the alert. More than 75 percent of U.S. mobile phones receive the alert.

As many Liberty students and staff members thought it came from the president himself, but it actually came from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinating with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

If the alert was needed to be sent out, it will be sent out in a terrorist attack or something that will affect nationwide.

In 2016, former President Barack Obama signed a law allowing FEMA to create a nationwide test.

Sophomore Tyler Cotton was listening to music when the test was received.

“The music just stopped and [the alert tone] it was loud in my headphones,” Cotton said. “I was caught off-guard.”

Sophomore Shawn Paluczak wasn’t surprised when the test alert went off.

“I just dismiss it as a test,” Paluczak said. “After 7th hour walking into 8th hour, I received the alert.”