Chatham County residents can expect to hear and see a slew of alerts from local and federal agencies between noon and 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, will conduct a nationwide test to assess the capabilities of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert. Tests will come in the form of cell phone alerts, sirens as well as broadcast and internet providers.

The test will assess the operational readiness of the system designed to send a message nationwide and determine whether technological improvements are needed, said county spokeswoman Abby Murphy.

The Chatham Emergency Management Agency will also be conducting its Emergency Outdoor Warning Siren test on Wednesday.

At noon, residents will hear a one-minute emergency tone from the various sirens located throughout the county as part of the CEMA test, weather pending, Murphy said.

At 2:18 p.m. residents will receive a cellular alert as part of the national Wireless Emergency Alert test. The message will read “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

This is the first national test of the WEA system, which is designed to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones, Murphy said.

It allows customers whose wireless provider participates in WEA and who own a WEA compatible wireless phone to receive geotargeted alerts of imminent threats to safety in their area through unique tones and vibration. The national WEA test will use the same special tone and vibration.

The Emergency Alert System test will follow at 2:20 p.m. This is the fourth EAS nationwide test, Murphy said.

The EAS test is made available to EAS participants such as radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers, and wireline video providers and is scheduled to last approximately one minute.

The test message will be similar to regular monthly EAS test messages.