National Warning System

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The National Warning System (NAWAS) is a system used to convey warnings to Federal, State and local governments, as well as the military and civilian population. The original mission of NAWAS was to warn of an imminent enemy attack or an actual accidental missile launch upon the United States. NAWAS still supports this mission but the emphasis is on natural and technological disasters.

NAWAS has major terminals at each State EOC and State Emergency Management Facility. Other secondary terminals include local emergency management agencies, National Weather Service field offices and Public-safety answering points (PSAPs). Today, the system consists of what is essentially a 2200+ telephone party line. Obviously, it is more than a normal telephone system. The phone instruments are designed to provide protection for lightning strikes so they may be used during storms. The interconnecting lines are provided some protection and avoid local telephone switches. This ensures they are available even when the local system is down or overloaded.

NAWAS supports the "all-hazards" emergency response mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). NAWAS is used to disseminate warning information concerning natural and technological disasters to approximately 2200 warning points throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.

This information includes but is not limited to acts of terrorism including Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) after aircraft incidents/accidents, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, nuclear incidents/accidents, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, tsunamis and winter storms/blizzards. NAWAS allows issuance of warnings to all stations nationwide or to selected stations as dictated by the situation.


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