PUBLIC SAFETY & WEATHER

ECB and UW-Extension provide the technical backbone of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in Wisconsin. The EAS is a federally mandated program which allows radio and television broadcasters to relay national, state and local emergency information such as weather alerts. ECB radio stations act as the primary relay stations in the EAS network.

ECB also provides a dedicated “AMBER Alert” (child abduction) network which is linked to the EAS system. “AMBER Alerts” can be localized to specific areas of the state and immediately activated by authorized personnel. ECB has been issuing AMBER Alerts leading to the safe recovery of Wisconsin children since the program was put into place in 2003.

ECB technical staff also maintains the 28 NOAA transmitter stations located throughout Wisconsin. These stations receive weather information directly from National Weather Service offices and broadcast 24 hours a day. Emergency weather warnings are broadcast to NOAA weather radios and relayed via the EAS system to radio and television stations across the state.

ECB and UW-Extension also work with the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, Division of Emergency Management, to serve as the delivery conduit for critical non-weather emergency alerts such as: Civil Danger, Evacuation Immediate, Hazardous Materials, Nuclear Power Plant, Radiological Hazard, and Shelter in Place Warnings.