What time is the EBS test on October 4th? Full form and meaning explained as viral tweet fuels Marburg Virus conspiracy

Ahead of FEMA's emergency alert test that is scheduled to take place on October 4, a post about 'EBS' has gone viral. X user Gina Shirah took to the platform on October 1 and asked everyone to turn off their cell phones on the day of the test claiming that the 'EBS' would be conducting a test of the system using a 5G network.

Gina further wrote that the test will activate Marburg virus in individuals who are vaccinated against the coronavirus, and would eventually turn some of them into zombies. While Gina is not the first person to warn people about the activation of the Marburg virus and a potential zombie apocalypse as an outcome of the emergency test, her claim about the 'EBS' is false.

Gina Shirah's viral post about the emergency test. (Image via X/@GinaShirah81815)

The term EBS refers to the Emergency Broadcast System which used to be an emergency warning system for US citizens. However, it is no longer in existence now and has been replaced by EAS, which stands for Emergency Alert System. So, the X user Gina Shirah likely mistaken FEMA's EAS test for a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.

Originally, as notified by FEMA, the EAS test is scheduled to take place "from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET".

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EBS meaning explored as viral post fueling conspiracy has been debunked

Purpose of EBS alerts

The Emergency Broadcast System was also sometimes referred to as the Emergency Action Notification System (EANS). It was typically used along with the Emergency Override System. This warning system was initiated in 1963 when it replaced the CONELRAD system. It was in use till 1997 before being replaced by the EAS.

The Emergency Broadcast System was established to help the US President expeditiously communicate with the general public in times of an emergency, including a grave national crisis, or a threat of war. In later years after its inception, this system was used during peacetime emergencies at both local and state levels.

Though the U.S. President never had to use EBS for a national emergency, the system was activated over 20,000 times between the years 1976 and 1996 to broadcast alerts for civil emergencies and warnings regarding extreme weather hazards.

Debunking the viral post

Aside from the factual evidence that the Emergency Broadcast System mentioned in X user Gina Shirah's viral post does not actually exist anymore, a community note added to the post also clarified the same.

Moreover, another community note debunked the claim about the Marburg virus being activated through the emergency test conducted by FEMA. It stated that there is no scientific proof to the assertion that a radio or a television signal could activate a virus and also clarified that the COVID-19 vaccines do not have any pathogens in them.

FEMA stated on its official website that the EAS test will be conducted through cable systems, television broadcasters, satellite radio, wireline video providers, and television providers. A test message will be sent which will state:

“This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

The agency also stated that there is no need for the general people to take any action in response to the alert system. It is solely a test to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the alert system.