Integrated Public Alert and Warning System

About Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS)

The Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) is FEMA's national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts, to radio and television via the Emergency Alert System, and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Radio.

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Emergency Management

2501 S. 35th St. Suite D
Tacoma, WA 98409

Ph: (253) 798-6595
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The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is one of the many means used by alerting authorities to send warnings via broadcast, cable, satellite and wire line communications pathways. The EAS is also used when all other means of alerting the public are unavailable, providing an added layer of resiliency to the suite of available emergency communication tools.

Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) is a partnership between FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and wireless carriers to enhance public safety. CMAS allows public safety authorities to use FEMA’s IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN) to send geographically targeted, text-like Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to the public.

WEAs will relay presidential, AMBER and imminent threat alerts to mobile phones using cellular broadcast technology that will not get backlogged during times of emergency when wireless voice and data services are highly congested.

The NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) system is an "All Hazards" radio network for comprehensive weather and all hazard emergency information including Non-Weather Emergency Messages (NWEM). In conjunction with federal, state, and local emergency managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards, including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills) and public safety (such as AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages).

 More information can be found here: Integrated Public Alert & Warning System | FEMA.gov