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The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management (YCOEM) will be conducting Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) testing in the Prescott Valley area on Thursday, August 29, 2024 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

The test is part of a multi-jurisdiction exercise aimed at testing the Genasys Protect Evacuation platform for emergency notification via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).

YCOEM recently received approval to send messages through IPAWS, enabling them to assist jurisdictions in need of emergency notification support.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are an important tool used to broadcast emergency alerts directly to the public via their mobile devices. These alerts are designed to inform residents of imminent safety threats, missing persons (AMBER alerts), and other critical situations. These are short emergency messages that provide essential information to keep communities safe and informed.

Test WEAs will be sent to specific evacuation areas within Prescott Valley directly related to the training site.

This message will only be received by users who are in or near the specified region and have their mobile device set up to receive WEAs. Please note that if these settings are not turned on, your phone will not be able to receive this test WEA.

“We want to emphasize that this is just a test and is nothing to be worried about. This training exercise is essential to help us refine our processes, especially in the utilization of evacuation zones within the Genasys system. It also allows us to work with our partners to determine when it is most appropriate and necessary to use IPAWS rather than an opt-in system during a major emergency,” said Ashley Ahlquist, Emergency Manager at YCOEM.

If you have not already enabled the setting to receive test wireless emergency alerts, we recommend that you adjust the settings on your mobile device to ensure that you can receive them. For instructions on how to enable this setting and for more information about WEA, visit the following website: Yavapai Lady.

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