American Emergency Alert System: A Brief Introduction

As a large country, the US is prone to various hazards, such as wildfires, floods, and tornadoes. Therefore, the government developed the American Emergency Alert System, more commonly known as EAS. Therefore, the state and local authorities can disseminate warning messages promptly and effectively.

Over the years, the EAS has experienced several improvements. Consequently, it became one of the best public warning systems worldwide. This system is a good example for other countries that are in the process of developing a public warning system.

American Emergency Alert System: What is It? 

EAS is the US public warning system designed to disseminate warning messages to people via radios and TVs. The US government started the operation of this system in 1997. The operation of this system is under the coordination of IPAWS.

Moreover, other agencies, such as NOAA, FEMA, and FCC, joined the EAS coordination. EAS also works with all broadcast and cable TV stations, all commercial radio stations, and 77 PEP radio stations.

1. The Objectives of The System

The US government designed the EAS in a particular way so that the president can disseminate an American emergency alert message rapidly during a crisis or a disaster. Below are the objectives of the EAS.

• Deliver Warnings and Information: The EAS warns the public about emergencies that can endanger their lives or properties. Moreover, the system also broadcasts information on the date, time, and duration of the hazard, etc.

• Provide Immediate Communication: The EAS provides authorities with immediate communication to the public during an emergency. Therefore, they can broadcast an alert instantly. Consequently, people who get the alert can make an emergency response timely.

• Coordinate Emergency Responses: The American Emergency Alert System allows local and state authorities to disseminate information on emergency responses. Therefore, they can help people take ideal methods to save themselves from hazards.

• Minimize Death Tolls from Natural Disasters: The government designed the EAS to minimize the death toll from natural disasters. With the help of this system, authorities can coordinate emergency responses to help people get away from hazards.

• Brief History of the US Emergency Alert System

The EAS replaced the Emergency Broadcast System. It was the older American emergency system. Both systems have similarities, such as allowing the US president to broadcast alerts immediately during emergencies.

However, in practice, the EAS and EBS were mostly used on a regional scale. Meanwhile, the difference between both systems is that the EAS has the SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) header. 

It is a digitally encoded audio signal that is responsible for the US emergency alert system sound. Later on, in 2006, the government expanded the public warning system into IPAWS. 

This integrated system is more comprehensive because it supports WEAS (Wireless Emergency Alerts) and improves EAS audio quality into digital audio. Moreover, the integrated one is also more effective and efficient.

3. A Glance of the EAS Technical Concept

In running the EAS, authorities use four components. One of them is the SAME header. This is the warning message. It contains several details, such as the source of the message, the event, the date and time of the event, and areas affected by the events.

When broadcasting messages, authorities distribute them first to PEP radio stations. After that, these stations deliver the messages to other radios and TV stations.

About WEAS

Since 2006, the national warning system in the US did not rely on EAS alone. Under the IPAWS, the government integrated the American Emergency Alert System with the WEAS. 

1. What is WEAS?

The WEAS are emergency messages sent to mobile phones. The mechanism of sending the messages does not rely on the network service but on the radio cells of mobile phone networks.

Authorities, such as NWS, the President, and local governments, send a wireless emergency message in bulk within seconds during an emergency. Therefore, numerous mobile phone users will get the warning quickly.

2. WEAS Benefits

Broadcasting WEAS gives many benefits to authorities. One of them is the WEAS allows authorities to send warning messages without worrying about network congestion. In addition, this system helps them reach more people quickly.

These days, most people are busy with their jobs and other activities. Therefore, they may not be in front of the TV or listening to a radio during an emergency. However, mobile phones are always near them. Consequently, they can immediately read the warning message when their phones ring.

People don’t need to subscribe or install an app to get this message. However, they must ensure the mobile phone settings enable emergency alerts to be sent to their phones.

The American Emergency Alert System is one of the best warning systems worldwide. However, the US government considered it is not enough to have only the EAS. Therefore, the IPAWS integrates this system with other systems, e.g., WEAS. This integration allows authorities to send warnings via various channels.