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US Launches Cell Phone Emergency Alert System

   VOA News  May 10, 2011
   A cell phone enabled to receive emergency notifications, is shown May
   10, 2011 in New York.

Photo: AP

   A cell phone enabled to receive emergency notifications, is shown May
   10, 2011 in New York.

   The United States is introducing a new public alert system that will
   deliver warnings to mobile phones in the event of an emergency.
   The system is first being rolled out in New York and Washington and
   will operate nationwide by April 2012.
   Top mobile phone company executives joined federal officials and New
   York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Tuesday to announce the Personal Localized
   Alerting Network (PLAN). They unveiled the network at the site of the
   September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
   Mayor Bloomberg said the system will allow cell phone users to receive
   free alerts about imminent safety threats. He said it could save
   countless lives.
   The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says the new system
   allows customers who own an enabled mobile device to receive the
   geographically targeted alerts.
   All major U.S. cell phone companies will participate in the system.
   The warnings will be localized by using local cell phone towers. The
   notifications could warn residents and visitors about an approaching
   tornado, hurricane or storm. If there is a terrorist threat, everyone
   in the area with a cell phone can be warned and advised what to do.
   The system will give priority to emergency messages, overriding all
   regular telephone and text traffic.
   The chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Julius
   Genachowski, said the tragedy of September 11 taught the United States
   the necessity of communication technologies in times of crisis and
   disaster.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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