What are Wireless Emergency Alerts? The Nationwide Network now delivers Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), also known as Commercial Mobile Alerts System (CMAS), to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. Are there different types of Wireless Emergency Alerts? There are three types of WEA communications:
- Presidential Alerts – This kind of alert can only be sent by the President of the U.S.
- Imminent Threat – This kind of alert is categorized as either Extreme or Severe. Examples of this type of alert might be a weather alert or a chemical spill.
- AMBER Alerts – America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. AMBER alerts will now also be sent as WEA How are Wireless Emergency Alerts sent?
- WEA are sent from public safety entities certified by their State government and the Department of Homeland Security to have the messaging responsibility and are broadcast to a geographic area, not to specific devices. Only customers who are in that area will receive the alerts.
- In order to receive WEAs, your device must be connected to the network or one of our roaming partners who also have agreed to provide WEAs on their systems. Although our network is capable of delivering WEA messages, not all areas/municipalities are capable of issuing WEA messages at this time. Does my device support Wireless Emergency Alerts?
- If you have a WEA-capable device, access your Settings for Messaging to enable Imminent Threat alerts and AMBER Alerts.
- WEA-capable devices include:◦HTC EVO™ 3D ◦HTC EVO™ Design 4G
- LG Marquee™
- Samsung Galaxy S™ ll, Epic™ 4G Touch
- Samsung Trender™
- Samsung Transform™ Ultra
- Sanyo Innuendo™
- Sanyo Vero™ by Kyocera
- Kyocera Milano™
- Kyocera DuraCore
- Kyocera DuraMax
- Kyocera Brio™
- If you have a WEA-capable device, enter ##CMAS# (##2627#) on the keypad to activate CMAS. The CMAS settings can then be accessed from Settings for Messaging.