ARRL and Citizen Corp are teaming up to assist local school districts (if they need the help) to set up and register their NOAA Weather All Hazard Public Alert Radio.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Education, and the Department of Homeland Security are partnering to launch a significant nation-wide project to distribute 80,000 NOAA Public Alert Radios to U.S. public schools throughout the nation. The radios are designed to signal different types of alerts ranging from weather emergencies to child abductions, and from chemical accidents to acts of terrorism. The radio acts as a sentry, standing guard 24/7, to sound an alarm when danger threatens.
If you, as Amateur Radio operator, or an Amateur Radio club member, or ARRL Field Organization appointee would like to assist Citizen Corps in this project, please contact your local Citizen Corps Council to offer assistance. Where there isn't a Council, please contact local emergency management.
Contacts should not be made directly to local schools but, instead, should be made by Citizen Corps and Emergency Management to local school district superintendent's offices to ensure a coordinated plan. Assistance to schools will be provided at the request of, and in coordination with, the school district.
To locate your State Citizen Corps Council log onto http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizenCorps/statepoc.do
To locate your local Citizen Corps Council log onto: http://www.citizencorps.gov/councils/find_council.shtm or http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizenCorps/mycouncils.do
To locate state offices and agencies for emergency management, you can log onto: http://www.fema.gov/about/contact/statedr.shtm
To get contact information for local emergency management offices, you can email or call IAEM, The International Association of Emergency Managers, at info@iaem or 703-538-1795x2 to ask for your local contact or you can click on the link for the state web sites at http://www.fema.gov/about/contact/statedr.shtm
The NOAA Web site (http://public-alert-radio.nws.noaa.gov/) is the primary location for information and updates for Citizen Corps and associated volunteers for this project.
The following links contain background information about the program including a document on frequently asked questions and answers about the program, Citizen Corps volunteer material for the NOAA Public Alert Radio Program, a copy of the letter that went to the schools along with a descriptive and informational brochure about the radio distribution program.
If you or your club or ARES group take part in this project with Citizen Corps or your local Emergency Management office, please report this activity to Steve Ewald, WV1X, (sewald@arrl.org) at ARRL Headquarters and to your ARRL Section Manager.
Thank you very much.
NOAA Frequently Asked Questions [PDF, 30,161 bytes]
Citizen Corps Volunteer Information
[PDF, 52,914 bytes]
Public Alert Letter for Schools [PDF, 77,894 bytes]
Public Alert Radio Brochure [PDF, 606,646 bytes]