Storms bringing heavy rain and damaging winds are forecasted for the Miami Valley, including Beavercreek, beginning Thursday, March 25 and into Friday, March 26. As a result, the City of Beavercreek is reminding its residents about a new alert system designed to keep people informed and safe during severe weather and other emergencies.
The alert system the City is now using is called Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). IPAWS is FEMA’s national system for local alerting. It provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public through mobile phones using Wireless Emergency Alerts, to radio and television via the Emergency Alert System, and on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Radio.
In the event IPAWS is activated during this week’s storm, it will be the first time the alert system has been used by the City of Beavercreek and surrounding area.
Cell phones and mobile devices will receive Wireless Emergency Alerts based on location, even if cellular networks are overloaded and can no longer support calls, text and emails. No sign-up or residency is needed. The system can also be activated to issue other emergency messages impacting the area that might be non-weather related.
IPAWS is utilized through an emergency alert notification system, Hyper-Reach, which the City of Beavercreek has been using since 2013, but alert notifications and its reach to residents is very limited. IPAWS will change that.
As the use of technology continues to grow, IPAWS is an effective, fast way to reach a mass amount of people at a low-cost. Research has shown that emergency warning sirens can be unreliable during severe weather and their tone can be easily muffled, making them less effective. 
If people do not have a cell phone, they can receive the same alerts through their television, radio and/or emergency alert radio. Emergency alert radios, which are specifically designed to function in the case of a power outage, are also easily available and affordable.
The City has worked, and continues to work, to enhance its tornado and severe weather alert system that includes simultaneous utilization of several platforms, including IPAWS, to keep people informed in the event of severe weather and other emergencies. The City is committed to helping keep everyone safe.