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Safety Advice & Tips

Know Your Alerts & Warnings

Receiving timely information about emergencies can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to protect yourself and your family. Local police and fire departments, emergency managers, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration work together to make sure you can receive alerts and warnings quickly through several different technologies no matter where you are.

If you've ever noticed a unique sound and vibration coming from your cell phone, you probably just received a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) - a nationwide emergency alert system notifying you of a pending emergency in your area. These messages provide information about extreme weather, local emergencies, AMBER Alerts™, and Presidential Alerts during a national emergency.

WEAs look like a text message and show the type and time of the alert, any action you should take, and the agency issuing the alert. If you receive a WEA, follow the directions advised by the message and seek additional information from local media or authorities.

WEA messages can save lives! To learn more, checkout FEMA's WEA public service advertisement and the Be Smart. Know Your Alerts and Warnings guide from America's PrepareAthon!