Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is demanding answers after the 4:45 a.m. Emergency Alert System push notification went off around Florida Thursday.
The alert was an early alarm clock, and folks from around the state checked their phones to see the text, “TEST – This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert System. No action is required.”
The Florida Division of Emergency Management issued an apology: “We know a 4:45 AM wake up call isn’t ideal. FLSERT wants to apologize for the early morning text. Each month, we test #emergencyalerts on a variety of platforms. This alert was supposed to be on TV, and not disturb anyone already sleeping. We are taking the appropriate action to ensure this will never happen again and that only true emergencies are sent as alerts in the middle of the night.”
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Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement he has ordered Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to bring “swift accountability” for the alert test being sent so early.
“This was a completely inappropriate use of this system. Stay tuned,” he tweeted.
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