BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP/The Emergency Broadcasting System

I actually heard the EBS, complete with annoying high pitched beeps and tones, used for an emergency this morning. Remember when it was just one long high-pitched tone? Now it's a combination of a medium-long high-pitched tone with shorter beeps.

I was listening to the Tony Kornheiser show on Washington Post Radio and mid-sentence they cut him off with the emergency tone/beeps and then announced a local child abduction/fugitive situation with instructions on what to do if you spot the people/vehicle/license plate. Then they closed off with the beeps and tones again. Tony came back on the air and was surprised and delighted that he had been cut off.

I was too. All my life I've been hearing this EBS concluding with "had this been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed... ". Finally it's being used for an actual emergency. Yay!! Living in and around the nation's capitol, I want to know this EBS concept can work.