What are Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs)?
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are short, life-saving warning messages sent directly to your mobile phone. Authorized government authorities use these alerts to warn you of imminent natural or human-made disasters in your immediate area.
What are Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs)?
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are short, life-saving warning messages sent directly to your mobile phone. Authorized government authorities use these alerts to warn you of imminent natural or human-made disasters in your immediate area.
How WEAs Work
- No signup required: You do not need to download an app or subscribe to a service. If you have a WEA-enabled smartphone, you will receive these alerts automatically.
- Location-based: Alerts are broadcast from local cell towers. You will only receive messages when you are physically in the targeted danger zone.
- A nationwide partnership: The system is powered by a public safety partnership between FEMA, the FCC, and major wireless providers.
WEAs vs. DickinsonAlert
WEAs are completely separate from our local DickinsonAlert notification system.
Your phone will automatically receive federal and state WEA messages regardless of whether you are registered for DickinsonAlert. However, because WEAs are reserved only for the most extreme, immediate threats, we still strongly encourage residents to sign up for DickinsonAlert to receive routine local updates, weather advisories, and county-specific emergency information.
Types of Wireless Emergency Alerts
National Alerts
Issued directly by the President of the United States or the Administrator of FEMA. These are reserved for nationwide emergencies. Note: You cannot opt out of National Alerts.
Imminent Threat Alerts
Issued when there is an immediate, severe threat to life or property in your current area. These are the most common WEAs and include:
- Extreme weather warnings (tornadoes, flash floods, hurricanes, destructive thunderstorms)
- Evacuation orders
- Active shooter or shelter-in-place warnings
- Chemical spills or hazardous material emergencies
Public Safety Messages
Issued to provide essential recommendations that save lives or property. These are often sent after an Imminent Threat Alert has passed to provide instructions, such as:
- Boil water advisories
- Emergency shelter locations
- Curfew notices
AMBER Alerts
Issued by law enforcement to urgently seek the public's help in locating a missing or abducted child who is believed to be in serious danger.
WEA Test Messages
Issued by state and local emergency management officials to evaluate the readiness of the system. By default, most phones have test alerts turned off, meaning residents must manually opt-in through their phone's settings to receive them.
Wireless Emergency Alert Tips
- Follow the action advised by the alert. The message will show the type and time of the alert, any action you should take, and the agency issuing the alert. The message will be no more than 360 characters. You can get more details from your local authorities, local news or trusted social media sources.
WEAs have a unique tone and vibration, both repeated twice. WEA messages are free and will not count towards texting limits on your wireless plan.
- Wireless providers are selling devices with WEA capability included. To find out if your phone can receive WEA alerts, contact your wireless provider. All the major providers participate in WEA on a voluntary basis.
- If you are on a phone call when a WEA is sent in your area, the message will be delayed until you finish your call.
- WEAs do not track your location. They are broadcast from area cell towers to mobile phones within the defined geographic location. Every WEA-capable phone within range receives the message.
- WEAs are not affected by network congestion.