With the start of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season this month, C Spire is reminding consumers that they can receive free, location-based notifications on capable mobile phones under a national public safety warning system designed to alert consumers during emergencies.
Wireless carriers voluntarily broadcast the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) over their networks in cooperation with state and federal authorities under the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) program, but only after extensive testing and certification by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
C Spire received final FEMA approval in 2014 to begin broadcasting the text-like, 90-character messages designed to warn consumers about severe weather threats, missing persons or Presidential alerts during national emergencies. Customers can opt out of weather and missing person alerts by adjusting their device notification settings, but Presidential alerts are mandatory.C Spire CTO Carla Lewis says the alerts play an important role in keeping Mississippi residents updated about flooding threats. Without the alerts, C Spire and emergency response officials say injuries and deaths could result and damage totals could be much higher.
The operator currently offers more than 90 WEA-capable devices, including smartwatches and other connected devices, which are identified with a special logo both in stores and online. All smartphones manufactured and introduced after 2012 are WEA-capable.
