The National Warning System (NAWAS) is an automated telephone system used to convey warnings to

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

-based federal, state and local governments, as well as the military and civilian population.National Warning System Operations Manual
–

FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

, 30 Mar 2001 The original mission of NAWAS was to warn of an imminent enemy attack or an actual accidental missile launch upon the United States. NAWAS still supports this mission but the emphasis is on natural and technological disasters. Organizations are able to disseminate and coordinate emergency alerts and warning messages through NAWAS and other public systems by means of the

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is an architecture that unifies the United States' Emergency Alert System, National Warning System, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and NOAA Weather Radio, under a single platform. IPAWS was desi ...

. NAWAS is operated and fully funded by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

(FEMA). Today, the system consists of what is essentially a 2200+ telephone party line. The phone instruments are designed to provide protection for lightning strikes so they may be used during storms. The interconnecting lines provide some protection by avoiding local telephone switches. This ensures they are available even when the local system is down or overloaded. NAWAS has major terminals at each state

Emergency Operations Center An emergency operations center (EOC) is a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster management functions at a strategic level during an emer ...

Emergency Alert System Update
– Martin Bongers,Project Officer, Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and State Emergency Management Facility. Other secondary terminals include local emergency management agencies,

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

field offices and

Public-safety answering point A public-safety answering point (PSAP), sometimes called public-safety access point, is a call center where emergency/non-emergency calls (like police, fire brigade, ambulance) initiated by any mobile or landline subscriber are terminated. It can ...

s (PSAPs). NAWAS is used to disseminate warning information concerning natural and technological disasters to approximately 2200 warning points throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. This information includes acts of terrorism including

Weapons of Mass Destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natura ...

(WMD) after aircraft incidents/accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, nuclear incidents/accidents, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, tsunamis and winter storms/blizzards. NAWAS allows issuance of warnings to all stations nationwide or to selected stations as dictated by the situation. When the NAWAS is not being used for emergency traffic/tests, State and local government personnel are encouraged to use it for official business.

References

External links and sources

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)

FEMA Manual 211-2-1: National Warning System Operations
Warning systems disaster preparedness in the United States Organizations established in 1978 1978 establishments in the United States {{telecomm-stub

See also

References

External links and sources