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Read. Understand. Apply.
The Warn Room blogs apply 70 years of research to the practice of alerts and warnings. We show how evidence-based changes to message content, style, and structure can create more effective warnings.


WEA, EAS, Levi and AMBER Alerts
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...

Jeannette Sutton
May 20


BOLO... for what? This is why people opt out.
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Apr 27


Live WEA Tests - there are rules for a reason
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,...

Jeannette Sutton
Apr 7


Child's Life in Danger! Comments on motivating action to search.
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Mar 10


Message personalization - what does that mean for a WEA?
At the Warn Room, we frequently hear about the need to issue "targeted and personalized" messages. This is primarily in reference to...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 16


Winter Weather Alerts: a comparison of 3 messages
Wireless Emergency Alerts for weather events generally fall into the domain of the National Weather Service (for a select set of hazards...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 13


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

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 7, 2024


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

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 7, 2024


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

Jeannette Sutton
Aug 9, 2024


What about those road closure messages...
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Aug 8, 2024


Warning Location Information and Zones...
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Jul 30, 2024


Another wildfire message, this time using SET as a signal to prepare
If you read the blog posted on July 8, you know that wildfire messaging is inconsistent and frequently incomplete. You can read research...

Jeannette Sutton
Jul 12, 2024


Is it time to establish a policy for your Wireless Emergency Alerts?
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Jul 1, 2024


"Armed man wanted for homicides" is NOT a help-wanted advertisement
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Jun 27, 2024


An improved Boil Water Notification that is actionable
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Jun 24, 2024


An incomplete LOCKDOWN message for law enforcement activity
Law enforcement messages with instructions to lockdown are HARD to write. Especially when you have limited time and need people to take...

Jeannette Sutton
Mar 11, 2024


Private Sector WEA messages? Yes, it's a thing.
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...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 26, 2024


The importance of templates for active shooter messages
When we poll emergency managers and other public safety risk communicators about the threats that create the greatest anxiety for...

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 6, 2024


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

Jeannette Sutton
Feb 1, 2024


Incomplete messages leave room for improvement
Incomplete messages lack key details that message receivers NEED and want in order to understand what is being communicated. In this...

Jeannette Sutton
Jan 29, 2024
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