A public safety alert is a cautionary signal from the state to the general public about potential danger. Public safety alerts are part of a national public safety system that allows customers with WEA-capable mobile devices to receive notifications of local and state emergencies. Public safety alerts contain information about a threat that may not be imminent or after an imminent threat has occurred. Public safety alerts are less severe than imminent threat alerts and may include public safety advisory messages such as "shelter in place" or "boil water" warnings.
Public safety alerts can be sent to mobile devices when people may be in harm’s way, without the need to download an app or subscribe to a service. These alerts are transmitted to wireless devices based on location and relevance. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are messages that warn the public of an impending natural or human-made disaster. The messages are short and can provide immediate, life-saving information.
There are different types of alerts that can be sent to mobile devices, including Presidential Alerts, Imminent Threat Alerts, Public Safety Alerts, and Americas Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alerts. Presidential Alerts are a special class of alerts only sent during a national emergency, while Imminent Threat Alerts include natural or human-made disasters, extreme weather, active shooters, and other threatening emergencies that are current or emerging. AMBER Alerts are urgent bulletins issued in child-abduction cases.
Public safety officials can help protect their communities with the ability to send emergency alerts. The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), maintained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is an integrated gateway through which an authorized public safety entity can alert the public to emergencies such as a wildfire or an AMBER alert for a missing child. Using IPAWS, authorized users may send alerts through the Emergency Alert System, which delivers the information via radio, television, and other media, and/or Wireless Emergency Alerts, which are delivered to consumers’ cell phones.
