Read. Understand. Apply.

When we first began to study public responses to Wireless Emergency Alerts in 2012, we immediately saw significant issues with alerts that were limited to 90-characters. Study participants indicated that these messages could not contain enough information to act upon, so instead of leading them to protect themselves, it led to them to search for more information ( see Bean et al. 2016 ). Information search to confirm the message is trustworthy and requires action is commonl

If you’re going to write an EAS message, why not use that same content to write a WEA?  Recently, I saw a WEA that was issued for an...

One of the advantages of Wireless Emergency Alerts is their ability to alert people, without requiring them to opt in, and to do so in a...

Live WEA tests are used to test the WEA system from end to end. This includes engaging the public who are receiving your messages and,...

We've seen a lot of missing person alerts come through WEA these past few weeks. Many of them stand out for what they lack, but this...

At the Warn Room, we frequently hear about the need to issue "targeted and personalized" messages. This is primarily in reference to...

Wireless Emergency Alerts for weather events generally fall into the domain of the National Weather Service (for a select set of hazards...

Messages for missing persons have the potential to motivate receivers to pay attention, look around, conduct a search, report known...

This past week, a catastrophic storm ripped through the Southeast US, leaving communities destroyed and more than 230 deaths (so far). ...

I write a lot about wildfire warnings; I do so because they honestly stand out as being some of the most frequently incomplete and...

Every once and a while, we take a peek at the types of messages that a state or jurisdiction is sending to the public and find something...

If you send or receive wildfire or hurricane alerts and warnings, you know that there has been a shift to the use of zones to highlight...

If you read the blog posted on July 8, you know that wildfire messaging is inconsistent and frequently incomplete. You can read research...

There are a lot of reasons to establish a WEA policy early in your use of IPAWS - in particular, a policy can help to guide when a...

The editor has been away from her desk for a bit, but we've started to notice friends and colleagues who are implementing The Warn Room...

The editor has been away from her desk for a bit, but we've started to notice friends and colleagues who are implementing The Warn Room...

Law enforcement messages with instructions to lockdown are HARD to write. Especially when you have limited time and need people to take...

On November 19, 2023, Adams County, CO issued a WEA on behalf of Suncor refinery on a Sunday morning at 4:32 am. It blasted phones...

When we poll emergency managers and other public safety risk communicators about the threats that create the greatest anxiety for...

Plain language makes it easier for the public to read, understand, and use government communications. Its wording, structure, and design...