Date and Time
Thursday Apr 2, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT
Thursday, April 2nd
10:00 am
Location
North Texas
Fees/Admission
None
Statewide Emergency Alert Test
Description
The City of Grand Prairie will be participating in the Statewide Emergency Alert Test on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM, as part of a coordinated effort led by the Texas Division of Emergency Management. This is a State of Texas–led drill, and TDEM has requested participation from local and county jurisdictions statewide to support this exercise.
Jurisdictions across North Texas and throughout the state will participate within a coordinated timeframe, making this a large-scale, multi-agency effort to validate public alerting systems and reinforce public awareness.
As part of this test, Grand Prairie will utilize a full suite of alerting and communication tools, including:
- IPAWS Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)
- AlertGP (Everbridge) notifications
- Digital messaging boards
What is WEA?
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are short emergency messages sent directly to compatible mobile devices within a targeted geographic area. These alerts are issued through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and do not require residents to sign up. WEA is used for urgent public safety messages such as severe weather, evacuation notices, and other critical incidents.
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are short emergency messages sent directly to compatible mobile devices within a targeted geographic area. These alerts are issued through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and do not require residents to sign up. WEA is used for urgent public safety messages such as severe weather, evacuation notices, and other critical incidents.
What to expect:
- A test WEA message will be issued at 10:00 AM using a test environment, meaning only individuals who have opted in to receive test alerts will receive this message
- An AlertGP test notification will also be sent using our 9-1-1 data set, which is the same system and contact data used during recent winter weather notifications (e.g., garbage collection schedule changes)
- Messaging will clearly indicate that this is a TEST
- Multiple jurisdictions across the region and state will be conducting similar activations during this timeframe
Important note:
No action is required from you or your organization. This is simply an awareness notification so you are informed and can help share accurate information if needed.
No action is required from you or your organization. This is simply an awareness notification so you are informed and can help share accurate information if needed.
Stakeholder awareness & support:
We ask that you help share this information with your respective audiences (employees, students, residents, and partners) to help reduce confusion and increase awareness of the test.
We ask that you help share this information with your respective audiences (employees, students, residents, and partners) to help reduce confusion and increase awareness of the test.
For additional details, please refer to the official TDEM press release:
https://www.tdem.texas.gov/press-release/3-18-26-drill
https://www.tdem.texas.gov/press-release/3-18-26-drill
Public Education Awareness Campaign:
Our Communications and Marketing team is taking an aggressive, proactive approach to ensure the public is well-informed ahead of the drill. This includes coordinated outreach across all city communication channels, such as social media platforms, the city website, and city-owned digital billboards, to maximize visibility and reach.
Our Communications and Marketing team is taking an aggressive, proactive approach to ensure the public is well-informed ahead of the drill. This includes coordinated outreach across all city communication channels, such as social media platforms, the city website, and city-owned digital billboards, to maximize visibility and reach.
Their team will be focused on clearly communicating what residents can expect, reinforcing that this is a statewide test, and helping reduce confusion when alerts are received. They will also be replying to this email with a marketing package, including ready-to-use graphics and messaging that you can easily repost and share with your constituents.
