NOAA in Final Phase of Giving Weather Radios to All U.S. Schools
Several federal agencies are working together to distribute more than 182,000 Public Alert Radios to preschools, Head Start programs, nonpublic schools and nonpublic school central offices, K-12 school district offices, and post-secondary schools in the next few weeks. This phase, when finished next month, will complete a federal program giving a radio to every school in the nation.
The radios sound an alarm to alert school personnel about hazardous weather conditions and other emergencies. The devices are being distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and assistance from the departments of Education and Health and Human Services.
Known as NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, these radios provide alerts and safety steps on emergencies ranging from an approaching tornado to a telephone outage disrupting 911 service, flash floods, train derailments involving hazmat spills, and Amber alerts. The distribution program also encourages school officials, emergency managers, and Citizen Corps Councils across the country to partner and align their efforts with local emergency plans to build overall community preparedness. For more information about the schools program, visit http://public-alert-radio.nws.noaa.gov/.