Emergency alerts are messages sent to the public during an emergency to provide information and instructions on how to stay safe. Emergency alerts can be sent through various channels, including television, radio, mobile devices, and sirens. There are different types of emergency alerts, including:

• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): These are short emergency messages sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial public alerting authorities to any WEA-enabled mobile device in a locally targeted area. WEAs can be sent by the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the President of the United States. Examples of alerts that can be sent through WEAs include extreme weather warnings, local emergencies requiring evacuation or immediate action, AMBER alerts, and Presidential alerts during a national emergency.

• Emergency Alert System (EAS): This is a national public warning system in the United States designed to allow authorized officials to broadcast emergency alerts and warning messages to the public via cable, satellite, or broadcast television, and both AM/FM and satellite radio. The EAS allows the President of the United States or their designee to deliver a message over the system via the Primary Entry Point (PEP) system during a national emergency within 10 minutes. State and local authorities may also use the system to deliver important emergency information such as weather information, imminent threats, AMBER alerts, and local incident information targeted to specific areas.

Emergency alerts are an important tool for public safety officials to quickly and effectively communicate with the public during an emergency. It is important for individuals to be aware of the different types of alerts and how to receive them in order to stay informed and take appropriate action to stay safe.