Mobile wireless
emergency alerting capabilities will be available nationwide through
participating carriers
WASHINGTON - Hurricane
Season begins June 1, 2012, FEMA is providing additional tools for federal,
state, local, tribal and territorial officials to alert and warn the public
about severe weather. Using the Commercial Mobile Alert System, or CMAS, which
is a part of FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, this structure
will be used to deliver Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to wireless carriers
for distribution to the public.
The CMAS system will
allow the National Weather Service to soon begin issuing WEAs for the most
dangerous weather through participating wireless carriers directly to cell
phones. The alerts will be broadcast by cell towers much like an AM/FM radio
station, and cell phones within range will immediately pick up the signal,
provided they are capable of receiving these alerts. The availability of WEA
alerts will be dependent on the network status of the wireless carriers and
handset availability, since not all cell phones can receive WEAs. People should
check with their cellular carriers to see if WEA alerts are available in their area.
"The wireless
emergency alert capability provides an additional opportunity for the public to
receive life-saving information needed to get out of harm's way when a threat
exists," said Timothy Manning, FEMA deputy administrator for protection
and national preparedness. "The public also has a critical role in their
personal preparedness. There are a few simple steps that everyone can take to
be prepared, like knowing which risks exist in your area and making a family
emergency plan. Information and resources to help individuals and families
prepare can be found at ready.gov."
WEAs will look like a
text message, and will automatically appear on the mobile device screen showing
the type and time of alert along with any action that should be taken. The
message will be no more than 90 characters, and will have a unique tone and
vibration, indicating a WEA has been received. If an alert is received,
citizens should follow the instructions and seek additional information from
radio, television, NOAA Weather Radio, and other official sources for emergency
information. Citizens should only call 911 in a life threatening situation.
Only authorized
federal, state, local, tribal or territorial officials can send WEA alerts to
the public. As with all new cellular services, it will take time for upgrades
in infrastructure, coverage, and handset technology to allow WEA alerts to
reach all cellular customers.
FEMA urges individuals
and businesses to take action to prepare themselves in advance of severe
weather and hurricanes such as taking the pledge to prepare at www.ready.gov/pledge. This is the first step in making sure you and your family is ready for an
emergency. This includes filling out your family
communications plan that you can email to yourself, assembling
an emergency kit, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved.
With the start of
hurricanes season it is even more important to know your risk, take action, and
be an example. While hurricanes often offer some warning that a threat is
approaching, severe weather can occur at any time and in any place, including
high winds, inland flooding, severe storms and tornadoes.
For more on family
preparedness, visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes for more planning information and safety tips.
FEMA's mission is to
support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work
together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect
against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.