Nebraska State Patrol takes the blame for emergency alert mistake

The WEA sent the test alert to cell phones throughout the state.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska State Patrol apologized on Twitter after they issued a required monthly test of the Emergency Alert System around 11 p.m. Tuesday night.

The tests are conducted on the third Tuesday of each month and issued by NSP, Nebraska Public Media, and the NEMA on a rotating basis. The tests alternate monthly between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. The tests are only supposed to activate the Emergency Alert System for broadcast media. During Tuesday night’s test, NSP says the Wireless Emergency Alert system was inadvertently activated as well.

The WEA sent the test alert to cell phones throughout the state. The Wireless Emergency Alert is the system used to disseminate AMBER Alerts or other critical emergency information.