AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin is becoming a FEMA-approved Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Alerting Authority. The new system gives the city more capabilities to alert Austinites quickly with emergency safety information, according to a press release.
The first round of test messaging will begin on Monday around 3 p.m.
The messages will clearly state that they are part of a test and that no action is required from the public, the release said.
IPAWS “is a federally regulated system that allows jurisdictions to contact the public via cell phone towers, television, and radio,” the press release said. IPAWS uses Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to contact cell phones in a geotargeted area and sends messages to televisions and radio stations by EAS.
The Emergency Alerts System (EAS) is a national public warning system used by authorities to deliver pertinent emergency information to the public, like weather and AMBER alerts.
In the past, only counties could become alerting authorities through FEMA; however, the city’s press release says that some large cities are now going through the process. The city says “Austin makes a unique case for IPAWS,” as Austin’s city limits cover three counties: Hays, Travis, and Williamson.
Previously, if the city needed to alert community members within Austin’s city limits via IPAWS, it would require contacting emergency management staff in each of the three counties for the message to be sent, the city said.
“These types of alerts save lives in an emergency,” said HSEM Director Jim Redick. “Testing both WEA and EAS together will allow us to ensure our alerting systems are ready, effective, and reliable when we need them.”
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