Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is an alerting network in the United States designed to disseminate emergency alerts to mobile devices such as cell phones and pagers. It is an essential part of Americas emergency preparedness and has been used more than 84,000 times since its launch in 2012 to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations. Authorized national, state, or local government authorities send alerts regarding public safety emergencies such as severe weather, missing children, or the need to evacuate using WEA. The alerts are short and can provide immediate, life-saving information.

WEAs 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. The alerts appear on the screen of the recipients handset as a text-like message accompanied by a unique attention signal. 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.

There are three types of warnings that will trigger a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA): Presidential Alerts, Imminent Threat Alerts, and Amber Alerts. Presidential Alerts are a special class of alerts only sent during a national emergency. Imminent Threat Alerts warn of severe weather conditions or other dangerous situations that pose an imminent threat to life or property. Amber Alerts are issued by law enforcement as part of the search for an abducted child.

Participation by wireless providers in WEA is voluntary, but those that offer the service must adhere to the technical and operational requirements established by the FCC. The FCC, FEMA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations National Weather Service work collaboratively to maintain Wireless Emergency Alerts and the Emergency Alert System, which are the two main components of the national public warning system.