Saturday,  May 19, 2012 • Vol. 12--No. 310 • 5 of 41 •  Other Editions

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help law enforcement search for and locate an abducted child. AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.
• Mobile users will not be charged for receiving these text-like alerts and are automatically enrolled to receive them. You can opt out of the Imminent Threat Alerts and the AMBER alerts, but you cannot opt out of the Presidential Alerts. 
• While these alerts will appear on a person's mobile device similar to a text message, Wireless Emergency Alerts are not text messages. Instead, Wireless Emergency Alerts use a different kind of technology to ensure they are delivered immediately and are not subjected to potential congestion (or delays) on wireless networks.
• In addition, Wireless Emergency Alerts are a point-to-multipoint system, which means alert messages will be

sent to those within a targeted area, unlike text messages which are not location aware. For example, if a person with a WEA-capable device from Washington, D.C. happened to be in southern California when an earthquake occurred in that area, they would receive an "Imminent Threat Alert" on their device. 
• There are a number of WEA-capable devices available today, and many of the new phones that are sold from participating carriers will be able to transmit these alerts. If your device has the CTIA Wireless Emergency Alerts logo, then it is WEA-capable. To receive these alerts, you might need to only upgrade your device's software, rather than purchase a new one.
• According to AWARE (Alerts, Warnings And Response to Emergencies) nation-wide
tests are scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month at noon central time. The RMT (Required Monthly Test) is designed to hit every capable phone in range of the test signal with a message.  The message will only be received and displayed with a CMAS capable mobile device that is on a

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