The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system delivers critical warnings and information to the public on their wireless devices. Participation by wireless providers is voluntary, but those that offer the service must adhere to the technical and operational requirements established by the FCC.
Authorized public safety officials send the alerts through FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to wireless providers, which then push the alerts from cell towers to mobile devices in the affected area. The alerts appear like text messages on mobile devices.
FEMA, the FCC, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 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.
Resources
- FCC Issues Enforcement Advisory to Promote Understanding of EAS and WEA Rules
- Multilingual Alerting for the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts>>
- Wireless Emergency Alert Enhancement FAQs
- FCC/FEMA Emergency Alerting Webinar
- Slide Presentation: A Guide to Emergency Alert System (EAS)
and Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) System - Multilingual Alerting Workshop
- Emergency Alerting Roundtable
- Emergency Alerting Workshop
- How Public Safety Officials Can Issue Emergency Alerts
- Wireless Emergency Alert Blog Post
- WEA Rules: CFR Rule: 47 CFR Part 10
- WEA Factsheet
- WEA Accessibility FAQs
- FEMA FAQ
- FEMA's List of Alerting Authorities
- Master WEA Registry
- Next Generation Warning System Grant Program | FEMA.gov
- IPAWS Process Playbook Version 2.0 | FEMA.gov
- FEMA Best Practices
Archives
- 2024 PSHSB Announce Effective Date of New WEA Testing Rules
- 2024 Notice of WEA Multilingual Template Implementation Comment Deadlines
- 2024 PSHSB Revises Grant Wavier for Huron County, OH WEA Test
- 2024 FCC Seeks Comment on Multilingual Wireless Emergency Alerts
- 2024 PSHSB Grants Wavier for Huron County, OH WEA Test
- 2024 PSHSB Grants Wavier for Alert SouthBay, CA WEA Test
- 2023 PSHSB Grants Waiver for Monterey County, CA WEA Test
- 2023 WEA; Amendments to Part 11 of the Commission's Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System
- 2023 FCC Seeks Partners to Test Solutions for Delivering Wireless Emergency Alerts During Cell Tower Outages
- 2023 FCC Adds Additional Languages & Features to Wireless Emergency Alerts
- 2023 FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for October 4th
- 2023 PSHSB Reminds EAS/WEA Participants to Transmit Accessible Alerts 10/4
- 2023 PSHSB Grants Waiver for Nationwide WEA Test
- 2023 Wireless Emergency Alerts; Amendments to Part 11 of the Commission's Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System
- 2023 PSHSB Grants Waiver for U.S. Virgin Islands WEA Test
- 2023 Chairwoman Rosenworcel Seeks Information on Multilingual Wireless Emergency Alerts
- 2022 PSHSB Grants Waiver for Montana's AMBER Alert Test
- 2022 Chairwoman Proposes Action To Strengthen Security Of Emergency Alert Systems
- 2022 Chairwoman Rosenworcel Announces Wireless Emergency Alert Test Partnership
- 2022 PSHSB Grants Waiver for Yolo, Sacramento and Placer, CA WEA Test
- 2022 PSHSB Announces Certain EAS and WEA Compliance Dates
- 2022 FCC Announces Comment, Reply Dates for WEA FNPRM
- 2022 FCC Proposes Public Wireless Emergency Alerts Performance Reporting
- 2022 FCC Seeks Partners for Local Wireless Emergency Alert Tests
- 2021 Report on August 11, 2021 Nationwide WEA Test
- 2021 PSHSB Grants Waiver for Ranier, Minnesota WEA Test
- 2021 Reminder of Nationwide Emergency Alert Test on Aug. 11
- 2021 Nationwide Emergency Alerting Test Scheduled for August 11th
- 2021 PSHSB Grants Waiver for Mendocino, California WEA Test
- 2021 FCC Proposes to Further Strengthen Emergency Alerting
- 2021 PSHSB Denies Waiver for Vail, Colorado WEA Test
- 2020 PSHSB Denies Waiver for Sonoma County, California WEA Test
- 2020 Enhanced Wireless Emergency Alerts Available for Coronavirus Pandemic
- 2020 PSHSB Denies Waiver for Virgin Islands WEA Test
- 2020 PSHSB Denies Waiver for City of Aliso Viejo WEA Test
- 2020 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules for Los Angeles International Airport
- 2019 New Enhancements to Wireless Emergency Alerts will be Available on December 13, 2019
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Napa County, California
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules T-Mobile WEA Geotargeting Tests
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Puerto Rico
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Dallas, Texas
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Los Angeles, California
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Maricopa County, Arizona
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - U.S. Virgin Islands
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - El Segundo, California
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - San Francisco, California
- 2019 Waiver Related to Wireless Emergency Alerts from US Geological Survey
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Santa Clara, California
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - San Miguel, Colorado
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Gunnison County, Colorado
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Hamilton County, Ohio
- 2019 FCC Seeks Alert Originators to Participate in WEA Test
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Cal OES
- 2019 FCC Announces Guidance Related to Timing of Certain WEA Improvements
- 2019 Letters on Upcoming Wireless Emergency Alert Geo-Targeting Deadline
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - District of Columbia
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - San Luis Valley, Colorado
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Denver, Colorado
- 2019 FCC Seeks Comment on Petition for Limited Waiver of WEA Rules - Puerto Rico
- 2019 FCC Advises Wireless Carriers, Alert Originators on May 1 WEA Deadline
- 2019 FCC Reminds Wireless Providers of Wireless Emergency Alerts Deadline
- 2019 FCC Report on 2018 Nationwide Emergency Alert Test
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Milwaukee, WI
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Helena & Clark County, MT
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - South Carolina
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - U.S. Virgin Islands
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Waldo County, Maine
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach, California
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Cal OES, California
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Montgomery County, Texas
- 2019 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Dallas, Texas
- 2018 Initial Findings Regarding the 2018 Nationwide EAS Test
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Near Virginia Nuclear Powers Stations
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Routt County, Colorado
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Napa County, California
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Puerto Rico
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Sonoma County, California
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Denver, Colorado
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Nationwide Test
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Cole County, Missouri
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Morris, Minnesota
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - Vail, Colorado
- 2018 Limited Waiver of Wireless Emergency Alert Rules - National Capital Region
- 2018 Order and Order on Reconsideration
- 2017 Report and Order
- 2017 Order on Reconsideration
- 2017 Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts and Community-Initiated Alerting - DCHSEMA
- 2016 Fourth Report and Order & FNPRM
- 2015 NPRM
- 2013 Order
- 2008 Third Report and Order
- 2008 Order
- 2008 Second Report and Order and FNPRM
- 2008 First Report and Order
- 2007 NPRM
Related Material
- April 10, 2018 - Report
Report and Recommendations, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, January 13, 2018 False Alert - April 5, 2018 - Senate Commerce Committee Field Hearing on Hawaii False Missile Alert