The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public warning system that requires radio and TV broadcasters, cable TV, wireless cable systems, satellite and wireline operators to provide emergency alert information. The EAS can interrupt radio and television to broadcast emergency alert information, and messages can cover a large geographic footprint. Emergency message audio/text may be repeated twice, but EAS activation interrupts programming only once, then regular programming continues. Messages can support full message text for screen crawl/display, audio attachments in mp3 format, and additional languages.
The EAS is used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information, such as weather and AMBER alerts, to the public. The system is also used to deliver recommendations for saving lives and property. The EAS is a voluntary system, and it is important for authorities who send EAS messages to have a relationship with their broadcasters to understand what will be aired via radio, TV, and cable based on their policies.
The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system is another public safety system that allows customers who own compatible mobile devices to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area. Authorized public safety officials send WEA alerts through FEMAs Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to participating wireless carriers, which then push the alerts to compatible mobile devices in the affected area. The WEA system has been used more than 84,000 times to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations.
The EAS and WEA systems are used to deliver emergency alerts to the public, and they are essential parts of Americas emergency preparedness.
