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Friday, June 15, 2012, 03:46 pm
With iOS 6, Apple devices will receive national emergency alerts
Apple devices running iOS 6 will be able to receive U.S. government alerts during an emergency or disaster, in compliance with a National Alerting Program.The new feature, labeled by Apple as "Government Alerts," will be a part of the iOS 6 operating system when it launches for iPhone and iPad this fall, as first noticed by Emergency Management (via CNet) on Friday. That means that Wireless Emergency Alerts can be provided to Apple mobile device users.
The feature is expected to be available on all devices that can run iOS 6, including the iPhone 3GS, first released in 2009, and the iPhone 4, which became available in 2010.
Author Rick Wimberley said Apple's adoption of Wireless Emergency Alerts is "big news" for those who work in the emergency management industry. The new feature means that users can receive alerts from local, state and federal officials through FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
The National Weather service also intends to start issuing Wireless Emergency Alerts by the end of June, meaning iPhone and iPad users will be able to receive weather warnings once their device runs iOS 6. There is also an option to opt out of warnings in the Settings menu represented by the usual on/off iOS toggle button.
Further details on the new emergency alert system in iOS 6 are unknown as Apple did not detail the new feature at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote this week.
The U.S. government's Wireless Emergency Alert system went live just last month. Carriers already offer users the ability to receive alerts to customers via text message, without the need for support from mobile operating systems.
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Previous Comments View All
Not only does this allow the govt to send you alerts, but they can also turn off your phone if there's a threat. This is similar to countries turning off the internet when people speak out against the govt.
SOPA!
Wow FINALLY a feature that everyone gets. Although it's completely worthless..
What a bunch of bullsh**. This isn't about delivering emergency alerts to people. When was the last time you needed to receive an emergency alert that you weren't already aware of? Let's get real, folks... this is about the government successfully creating an surveillance program to track of all its citizens.
I know you're think you're joking but you're not. The cell phone network already does that. Well, the cell phone companies charge a fee, but don't demand a warrant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/us/police-tracking-of-cellphones-raises-privacy-fears.html?pagewanted=all
I wonder how it knows to send you a message. If your phone number is in an area code in California but you happen to be in Colorado at the time when an emergency wild fire notification goes out for Colorado residents, what criteria do they use to send the message to mobiles?
The reason I ask is that I was in a location that the Police sent out a message that a prisoner had broken out of jail and was seen in my neighborhood but I didn't get the message. a) We don't have a home land line, only have iPhones, which didn't work with the emergency system. b) They only sent the message to land lines anyway.
Edit:
Verizon FAQ:
I have a device compatible with Wireless Emergency Alert. I am traveling today, but I did not receive an alert. Why?
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are geographically targeted. Only subscribers with WEA capable devices operating within the targeted alert zone will receive alerts.
WEA capable devices operating outside of the targeted geographical areas will not receive those alerts.
Now if only they had advance earthquake warnings 
What a bunch of bullsh**. This isn't about delivering emergency alerts to people. When was the last time you needed to receive an emergency alert that you weren't already aware of? Let's get real, folks... this is about the government successfully creating an surveillance program to track of all its citizens.
Why is it that the lunatic fringe has to pop up all the time?
Your statement is ridiculous. Maybe you live in an area that doesn't have natural disasters, but not everyone is so lucky. There's a substantial business selling weather radios in my state and surrounding states so people can be warned of tornados.
For me, this is great news. I was planning to go out and buy a new weather radio and I no longer have to. In addition, when my daughter rid at my ex's house, they don't have a weather radio, but if her iPod Touch will run iOS 6 and receive these alerts, it's an extra degree of safety.
The only thing is that I hope it's more flexible than a weather radio. In my area, we get enough severe thunderstorm, flash flood, tornado, and hail alerts that it's sometimes difficult to get a solid block of sleep - which is why many people who have these radios turn them off. Frankly, I don't care about thunderstorms or flash floods, so I hope it will allow me to select only tornado alerts (preferably just tornado warnings and not tornado watches, as well).
What a bunch of bullsh**. This isn't about delivering emergency alerts to people. When was the last time you needed to receive an emergency alert that you weren't already aware of? Let's get real, folks... this is about the government successfully creating an surveillance program to track of all its citizens.
Tin foil hat pinching a little today?
I wonder how it knows to send you a message. If your phone number is in an area code in California but you happen to be in Colorado at the time when an emergency wild fire notification goes out for Colorado residents, what criteria do they use to send the message to mobiles?
When you're in Colorado, you're connected to the mobile network there. They are probably sending out messages to phones connected in specific areas.
For me, this is great news. I was planning to go out and buy a new weather radio and I no longer have to. In addition, when my daughter rid at my ex's house, they don't have a weather radio, but if her iPod Touch will run iOS 6 and receive these alerts, it's an extra degree of safety.
I wouldn't give up on the radio idea so fast. One of the things that happened during the Northeast Blackout in August 2003 was that cell towers (at least in NYC) pretty quickly went down, and of course all plug-in TVs and radios didn't work. That left most everyone without any way to get news. It was scary that night in NYC, in the pitch black among 20 million assorted people, with no news and no light anywhere.
However, you were very popular if you had a battery radio.
What a bunch of bullsh**. This isn't about delivering emergency alerts to people. When was the last time you needed to receive an emergency alert that you weren't already aware of? Let's get real, folks... this is about the government successfully creating an surveillance program to track of all its citizens.
They can already track your phone.
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What a bunch of bullsh**. This isn't about delivering emergency alerts to people. When was the last time you needed to receive an emergency alert that you weren't already aware of? Let's get real, folks... this is about the government successfully creating a surveillance program to track of all its citizens.