Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) FAQ

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are part of a national public safety system that allows customers with WEA-capable mobile devices to receive notifications of local emergency situations.

WEA can be sent to your mobile device when you may be in harm’s way, without the need to download an app or subscribe to a service. WEAs are messages that warn the public of an impending natural or human-made disaster. The messages are short and can provide immediate, life-saving information.

UScellular^® is proud to continue offering WEA at no additional charge to its customers throughout its service areas and beyond, via roaming arrangements with other wireless carriers. Your phone must be WEA-capable and powered on to receive an alert. WEA have a unique sound and vibration so that all recipients, including those with disabilities, receive notification of the situation.

There are five types of Wireless Emergency Alerts:

• National Alerts — Issued by the President, the President’s designee, or the FEMA Administrator. National Alerts can be nationwide or regional in distribution.
• Imminent Threat Alerts —Issued by public safety officials during severe natural or man-made disasters in which an imminent threat to life or property exists (e.g., tornadoes or dangerous flooding).
• AMBER or BLUE Alerts —Amber alerts are issued by law enforcement as part of the search for a missing or abducted child. Blue alerts are issued in situations where a law enforcement officer may be in danger.
• Public Safety Alerts —Issued by authorized Emergency Managers as an essential public safety advisory. These alert types may include Public Safety advisory messages such as “shelter in place” or “boil water” warnings.
• Opt-in Test Messages —State and local officials conduct activities with coordinated testing (The message will state that this is a TEST).
  
  WEA messages may include enhanced functionality. This functionality can include extended message length (up to 360 characters), Spanish language alerts, and Public Safety Messages with supplemental instructions for protecting life or property during the emergency situation.
  
  WEA messages may also be delivered in a more geographically precise manner in order to alert the communities impacted by an emergency without alarming or disturbing other areas.

*Enhanced alerting capabilities are dependent upon FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) infrastructure readiness. IPAWS enhanced readiness is not anticipated until on or after June 10, 2019, impacting the delivery of WEA feature enhancements.

Things we want you to know: UScellular does not guarantee alert delivery or timeliness. UScellular is not responsible for content of alerts. Delivery of alerts is considered "best-effort" and alerts may not be received in weak signal areas.