Wireless Emergency Alerts

12/6/2019 (Permalink)

What is a WEA? Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is a 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.

The WEA allows authorized national, state, or local government authorities to alert the public of multiple safety concerns. Since 2012, when the WEA was first launched, the system has been used over 49,000 times to warn the public of missing children, dangerous weather, and other critical situations.

The alert will pop up on your phone screen looking like a text message, with a short message.

The WEA is used for the following types of situations:

• extreme weather warnings
• local evacuation
• amber alerts
• Presidential alerts during a  national emergency

Visit https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea for more information and FAQs.