Specific Area Message Encoding
Encyclopedia
Specific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol
used to encode the Emergency Alert System
(EAS) and NOAA Weather Radio
's SAME Public Warning System in the U.S. and Weatheradio Canada
in Canada.
system was the transmission of a single tone at 1050 Hz prior to the broadcast of any message alerting the general public of significant weather events. This became known as the Warning Alarm Tone (WAT). Although it has served NOAA Weather Radio well, there were many drawbacks: without staff at media facilities to manually evaluate the need to rebroadcast a Weather Radio message using the Emergency Broadcast System
(EBS), automatic rebroadcasting of all messages preceded by just the WAT was unacceptable and impractical. Even if stations and others with that type of need were willing to allow for this type of automatic capture, assuming the events for activation were critical, there was no way for automated equipment at the station to know when the message was complete and restore it back to normal operation.
In 1985, the National Weather Service
forecast offices began experimenting with putting special digital codes at the beginning and end of every message concerning life- or property-threatening weather conditions targeting a specific area. The intent of what became SAME was to ultimately transmit a code with the initial broadcast of all Weather Radio messages. The NWS started implementing SAME on the full NOAA Weather Radio system in 1988. The SAME technique was later adopted by the FCC
for regular broadcasters on radio
, television
, and cable
, as well as by Environment Canada
for its Weatheradio Canada
service. Much like the original EBS alert tone, this produces a distinct sound which is easily recognized by most Americans due to its use in weekly and monthly broadcast
tests, and in weather emergencies. During the said events, viewers and/or listeners will hear these digital codes in the form of buzzes, chirps, & clicking sounds (or what broadcast engineers affectionately call "duck farts") just before the attention signal is sent out and at the conclusion of the voice message.
. The first part is a header
message, which is transmitted three times, so that decoders can pick "best two out of three" for each byte
, thereby eliminating most errors which can cause an activation to fail.
The header is an AFSK data burst, with each individual bit lasting 1920 μs
(1.92 ms
) each, giving a bit rate
of 520 bits per second. A mark bit is four complete cycles of a sine wave, translating to a mark frequency of 2083 Hz
, and a space bit is three complete sine wave cycles, making the space frequency 1562.5 Hz.
The data
is encode
d in 7-bit
ASCII
but uses all 8 bits, with no parity bit
and no stop bit ("8-N-0"). The least-significant bit of each byte is transmitted first, including the preamble.
The text of the header code is a fixed format of Preamble-ZCZC-org-eee(up to 31 of -pssccc)+tttt-jjjhhmm-llllllll:
Each field of the header code is terminated by a dash character.
There is one second of blank audio between each section, and before and after each message. For those used to packet communications systems where each packet has a checksum, note that there is no checksum used in the message format. Each message is supposed to be transmitted 3 times, and the receiver is obliged to implement columnar parity correction.
The combined tones date back to 1963 when they were part of the EAS' predecessor, the Emergency Broadcast System
.
(CEA) standard for SAME protocol receiver decoder units. Originally, all but the first six of these were optional and could be programmed into encoder/decoder units at the request of the broadcaster. However, a July 12, 2007 memo by the FCC now requires mandatory participation in state and local level EAS. Furthermore, the creation and evolution of a voluntary standard by the CEA in December 2003 has provided participating manufacturers of receivers a single definitive reference to use when designing and programming receivers.
/CLC
codes for their designated area or areas of their interest and/or concern rather than the entire broadcast area (Examples given: If a person were to live in Irving, Texas
, he or she would program a FIPS code for Dallas
County. However, if he or she needs to be in the know of severe weather from the west and northwest ahead of time, the user would program additional FIPS codes for Denton
and Tarrant
Counties. On a more specialized receiver, a user has the option to eliminate any SAME alert codes that may not apply to their area such as a Special Marine Warning or a Coastal Flood Warning
. Once the SAME header is sent by NOAA/NWS and if it matches the desired code(s), the receivers then decode the event, scroll it on their display screens, and sound an alarm.
Receivers receive on one of the following National Weather Service network frequencies (in MHz): 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550. The signals are typically receivable up to 40 miles from the transmitters.
Communications protocol
A communications protocol is a system of digital message formats and rules for exchanging those messages in or between computing systems and in telecommunications...
used to encode the Emergency Alert System
Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
(EAS) and NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of...
's SAME Public Warning System in the U.S. and Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada, in French Radiométéo Canada, is a Canadian radio network that broadcasts weather information. Owned and operated by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division, the network transmits in both official languages from 199 sites across Canada.In most locations,...
in Canada.
History
From the 1960s to the 1980s, a special feature of the NOAA Weather RadioNOAA Weather Radio All Hazards
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of...
system was the transmission of a single tone at 1050 Hz prior to the broadcast of any message alerting the general public of significant weather events. This became known as the Warning Alarm Tone (WAT). Although it has served NOAA Weather Radio well, there were many drawbacks: without staff at media facilities to manually evaluate the need to rebroadcast a Weather Radio message using the Emergency Broadcast System
Emergency Broadcast System
The Emergency Broadcast System was an emergency warning system in the United States, used from 1963 to 1997, when it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System.-Purpose:...
(EBS), automatic rebroadcasting of all messages preceded by just the WAT was unacceptable and impractical. Even if stations and others with that type of need were willing to allow for this type of automatic capture, assuming the events for activation were critical, there was no way for automated equipment at the station to know when the message was complete and restore it back to normal operation.
In 1985, the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
forecast offices began experimenting with putting special digital codes at the beginning and end of every message concerning life- or property-threatening weather conditions targeting a specific area. The intent of what became SAME was to ultimately transmit a code with the initial broadcast of all Weather Radio messages. The NWS started implementing SAME on the full NOAA Weather Radio system in 1988. The SAME technique was later adopted by the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for regular broadcasters on radio
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, television
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
, and cable
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
, as well as by Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
for its Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada, in French Radiométéo Canada, is a Canadian radio network that broadcasts weather information. Owned and operated by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division, the network transmits in both official languages from 199 sites across Canada.In most locations,...
service. Much like the original EBS alert tone, this produces a distinct sound which is easily recognized by most Americans due to its use in weekly and monthly broadcast
Broadcast
Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...
tests, and in weather emergencies. During the said events, viewers and/or listeners will hear these digital codes in the form of buzzes, chirps, & clicking sounds (or what broadcast engineers affectionately call "duck farts") just before the attention signal is sent out and at the conclusion of the voice message.
Functionality
In the SAME system, messages are constructed in four parts, the first and last of which are digitalDigital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
. The first part is a header
Header (information technology)
In information technology, header refers to supplemental data placed at the beginning of a block of data being stored or transmitted. In data transmission, the data following the header are sometimes called the payload or body....
message, which is transmitted three times, so that decoders can pick "best two out of three" for each byte
Byte
The byte is a unit of digital information in computing and telecommunications that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, a byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the basic addressable element in many computer...
, thereby eliminating most errors which can cause an activation to fail.
The header is an AFSK data burst, with each individual bit lasting 1920 μs
Microsecond
A microsecond is an SI unit of time equal to one millionth of a second. Its symbol is µs.A microsecond is equal to 1000 nanoseconds or 1/1000 millisecond...
(1.92 ms
Millisecond
A millisecond is a thousandth of a second.10 milliseconds are called a centisecond....
) each, giving a bit rate
Bit rate
In telecommunications and computing, bit rate is the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time....
of 520 bits per second. A mark bit is four complete cycles of a sine wave, translating to a mark frequency of 2083 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
, and a space bit is three complete sine wave cycles, making the space frequency 1562.5 Hz.
The data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
is encode
Encode
Encode may refer to:* Can be related to "Code"* Encode ApS, a Danish software company* Encode SA, a Greek information security company* ENCODE, the ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements...
d in 7-bit
Bit
A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states...
ASCII
ASCII
The American Standard Code for Information Interchange is a character-encoding scheme based on the ordering of the English alphabet. ASCII codes represent text in computers, communications equipment, and other devices that use text...
but uses all 8 bits, with no parity bit
Parity bit
A parity bit is a bit that is added to ensure that the number of bits with the value one in a set of bits is even or odd. Parity bits are used as the simplest form of error detecting code....
and no stop bit ("8-N-0"). The least-significant bit of each byte is transmitted first, including the preamble.
The text of the header code is a fixed format of Preamble-ZCZC-org-eee(up to 31 of -pssccc)+tttt-jjjhhmm-llllllll:
- A preamble of binary 10101011 (0xAB in hex) repeated sixteen times, used for "receiver calibration" (i.e., clock synchronizationSynchronization in telecommunicationsMany services running on modern digital telecommunications networks require accurate synchronization for correct operation. For example, if switches do not operate with the same clock rates, then slips will occur and degrade performance...
), then the letters ZCZC as an attention to the decoder - org: Originator code; programmed per unit when put into operation
- EAN - Emergency Action Notification Network (President or other authorized national officials. Shall be used starting November 9th 2011 for the national test)
- PEP - Primary Entry Point Station (President or other authorized national officials)
- CIV - Civil authorities (i.e. Governor, state/local emergency management, local police/fire officials)
- WXR - National Weather ServiceNational Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
(or Environment CanadaEnvironment CanadaEnvironment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
. Any weather-related alert) - EAS - EAS Participant (formerly Broadcast Station or Cable SystemCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
) (Broadcasters. Generally only used with test messages)
- eee: Event code; programmed at time of event
- pssccc: Location codes (up to 31 locations); programmed at time of event
- The first digit is zero if the entire county or area is included in the warning, otherwise, it is a non-zero number depending on the location of the emergency.
- In the United States, designated by FIPS state codeFIPS state codeFIPS state codes were numeric and two-letter alphabetic codes defined in U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 5-2 to identify U.S. states and certain other associated areas...
and indicating the county (parishParishA parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, boroughBoroughA borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
or census area in AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
), but which may be designated for the whole state by using county number 000 - In Canada, designated by Canadian Location Code, which corresponds to a specific forecast regionForecast regionA forecast region is a unique geographical area for which individual weather reports are issued.-Canada:In Canada, the Meteorological Service divides the country into several forecast regions for the purpose of issuing routine text forecasts and weather warnings, as Canada's provinces and...
as used by the Meteorological Service of CanadaMeteorological Service of CanadaThe Meteorological Service of Canada , also known as "The Canadian Weather Service", is a division of Environment Canada, which primarily provides public meteorological information and weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather and other environmental hazards...
- tttt: Purge time of the alert event (from exact time of issue)
- In the format hhmm, using 15 minute increments up to one hour, using 30 minute increments up to six hours, and using hourly increments beyond six hours. Weekly and monthly tests typically have a 12 hour or greater purge time to assure users have an ample opportunity to verify reception of the test event messages.
- For short term events (like a tornado) this value could be set to 0000, which will purge the warning after the message has been received. However, this is not typical, and FCC guidelines normally suggest a mimimum 15 minute purge time.
- The purge time is not intended to coincide with the actual end of the event. Longer events that may not end for days (like hurricanes) may have a purge time of only a few hours. That an event message has been purged does not indicate or imply that the threat has passed.
- jjjhhmm: Exact time of issue, in UTC, without time zoneTime zoneA time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
adjustments- jjj is the Ordinal dateOrdinal dateAn ordinal date is a calendar date typically consisting of a year and a day of year ranging between 1 and 366 , though year may sometimes be omitted...
day of the year, with leading zeros - hhmm is 24-hour hours and minutes, in UTC, with leading zeros
- jjj is the Ordinal date
- Eight-character station callsign identification, with / used instead of - (such as the first eight letters of a cable headend's location, WABC/FM for WABC-FM, or KLOX/NWS for a weather radioNOAA Weather Radio All HazardsNOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of...
station programmed from Los Angeles).
Each field of the header code is terminated by a dash character.
Full message breakdown
An EAS message contains these elements, in this transmitted sequence:- Header
- Attention signal: Sent if any message is included (normally sent with all messages except RWT on commercial radio/TV); must be at least eight seconds long. On Weatheradio in Canada the 1050Hz tone is only used with three event codes: RMT, SVR & TOR.
- Single audio tone for Weatheradio
- Combined tones for commercial radio/TV
- Message - audio, video image or video text
- Tail: (Preamble) NNNN (EOM)
There is one second of blank audio between each section, and before and after each message. For those used to packet communications systems where each packet has a checksum, note that there is no checksum used in the message format. Each message is supposed to be transmitted 3 times, and the receiver is obliged to implement columnar parity correction.
The combined tones date back to 1963 when they were part of the EAS' predecessor, the Emergency Broadcast System
Emergency Broadcast System
The Emergency Broadcast System was an emergency warning system in the United States, used from 1963 to 1997, when it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System.-Purpose:...
.
Event codes
There are roughly 80 different event codes that are currently used in EAS and are part of the voluntary Consumer Electronics AssociationConsumer Electronics Association
The Consumer Electronics Association is a standards and trade organization for the consumer electronics industry in the United States. The Consumer Electronics Association is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $173 billion U.S...
(CEA) standard for SAME protocol receiver decoder units. Originally, all but the first six of these were optional and could be programmed into encoder/decoder units at the request of the broadcaster. However, a July 12, 2007 memo by the FCC now requires mandatory participation in state and local level EAS. Furthermore, the creation and evolution of a voluntary standard by the CEA in December 2003 has provided participating manufacturers of receivers a single definitive reference to use when designing and programming receivers.
| USA type key | CAN type key | Event level key | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | Mandatory code | AB | Administrative bulletin | ADV | Advisory |
| O1 | Original optional code | CI | Currently implemented | WCH | Watch |
| O2 | 2002 optional code | RT | Required test | WRN | Warning |
| NI | Not implemented | FI | For future implementation |
- Currently Implemented:
- The following event codes are currently implemented by agencies in the United States and/or Canada.
| Event Code | U.S. Type | CAN. Type | Event Description | Event Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADR | O1 | AB | Administrative Message | ADV |
| AVA | O2 | FI | Avalanche Avalanche An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the... Watch |
WCH |
| AVW | O2 | FI | Avalanche Warning | WRN |
| BZW | O1 | CI | Blizzard Warning Blizzard warning A Blizzard Warning is an advisory issued by the National Weather Service of the United States which means sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph / 15 m/s or greater with heavy snow is forecast for a period of 3 hours or more. A blizzard tends to reduce visibilities to 1/4 of a mile or... |
WRN |
| CAE | O2 | FI | Child Abduction Emergency AMBER Alert An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996... |
ADV |
| CDW | O2 | FI | Civil Danger Warning | WRN |
| CEM | O1 | FI | Civil Emergency Message | WRN |
| CFA | O2 | FI | Coastal Flood Watch | WCH |
| CFW | O2 | FI | Coastal Flood Warning | WRN |
| DMO | O1 | AB | Demonstration Message | ADV |
| DSW | O2 | CI | Dust Storm Dust storm A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition... Warning |
WRN |
| EAN | M | FI | Emergency Action Notification Emergency Action Notification An Emergency Action Notification is the national activation of the Emergency Alert System and can only be activated by the President or their representative . The Emergency Broadcast System also carried the Emergency Action Notification... (Begins a nationwide EAS activation) |
WRN |
| EAT | M | FI | Emergency Action Termination (Ends a national activation) | ADV |
| EQW | O2 | FI | Earthquake Warning | WRN |
| EVI | O1 | FI | Evacuation Emergency evacuation Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or... Immediate |
WRN |
| FFA | O1 | FI | Flash Flood Watch Flash flood watch A Flash flood watch is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions are favorable for flash flooding in flood-prone areas where grounds are already saturated from recent rains.... |
WCH |
| FFS | O1 | FI | Flash Flood Flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields... Statement |
ADV |
| FFW | O1 | FI | Flash Flood Warning Flash Flood Warning A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring in the warned area. A flash flood is a sudden, violent flood after a heavy rain... |
WRN |
| FLA | O1 | FI | Flood Watch Flood watch Flood alerts are issued by weather agencies to alert residents that flood conditions are a possibility for their area.-Types of flood alerts:... |
WCH |
| FLS | O1 | FI | Flood Flood A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water... Statement |
ADV |
| FLW | O1 | FI | Flood Warning Flood warning Flood warning is closely linked to the task of flood forecasting. The distinction between the two is that the outcome of flood forecasting is a set of forecast time-profiles of channel flows or river levels at various locations, while "flood warning" is the task of making use of these forecasts to... |
WRN |
| FRW | O2 | FI | Fire Warning Fire Warning A Fire Warning is a warning issued by civil authorities in the United States to inform the public of major, uncontrolled fires threatening populated areas and/or major roadways... |
WRN |
| FSW | NI | CI | Flash Freeze Warning | WRN |
| FZW | NI | CI | Freeze Warning (in Canada, 'Frost Frost Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually... Warning' - See note below ** ) |
WRN |
| HLS | O1 | FI | Hurricane Local Statement | ADV |
| HMW | O2 | FI | Hazardous Materials Warning | WRN |
| HUA | O1 | CI | Hurricane Watch | WCH |
| HUW | O1 | CI | Hurricane Warning | WRN |
| HWA | O1 | FI | High Wind Watch | WCH |
| HWW | O1 | CI | High Wind Warning | WRN |
| LAE | O2 | FI | Local Area Emergency | ADV |
| LEW | O2 | FI | Law Enforcement Warning | WRN |
| NAT | NI | AB | National Audible Test | ADV |
| NIC | M | AB | National Information Center Statement (Used to follow up an EAN) | ADV |
| NMN | O2 | AB | Network Message Notification | ADV |
| NPT | M | AB | National Periodic Test | ADV |
| NST | NI | AB | National Silent Test | ADV |
| NUW | O2 | FI | Nuclear Power Plant Nuclear power plant A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually... Warning |
WRN |
| RHW | O2 | FI | Radiological Hazard Warning | WRN |
| RMT | M | RT | Required Monthly Test | ADV |
| RWT | M | RT | Required Weekly Test | ADV |
| SMW | O2 | TS | Special Marine Warning | WRN |
| SPS | O1 | FI | Special Weather Statement | ADV |
| SPW | O2 | FI | Shelter In-place Warning Shelter in Place Shelter in place is a process for taking immediate shelter in a location readily accessible to the affected individual by sealing a single area from outside contaminants and shutting off all HVAC systems. These actions would generally be taken after a chemical accident or terrorist attack... |
WRN |
| SVA | O1 | CI | Severe Thunderstorm Watch Severe thunderstorm watch [File:Annual_severe_thunderstorm_watch_frequency_in_the_United_States.svg|thumb|right|300px|Map of average annual severe thunderstorm watches in the United States between 1999 and 2008.Legend:... |
WCH |
| SVR | O1 | CI | Severe Thunderstorm Warning Severe thunderstorm warning A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when trained storm spotters or a Doppler weather radar indicate a strong thunderstorm is producing dangerously large hail or high winds, capable of causing significant damage. In the United States, it does not account for lightning or flooding... |
WRN |
| SVS | O1 | TS | Severe Weather Statement (U.S. Severe weather terminology (United States) This article describes the United States National Weather Service severe weather terminology. The NWS defines precise meanings for nearly all its weather terms. This article describes NWS terminology and related NWS weather scales... , CAN Severe weather terminology (Canada) This article describes Severe weather Terminology used by the Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada. This article primarily describes various weather warnings, and their criteria. Related weather scales and general weather terms are also addressed in this article... ) |
ADV |
| TOA | O1 | CI | Tornado Watch Tornado watch A tornado watch is issued when conditions are right for a tornado to form. Since any thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado is defined as severe, a tornado watch is also automatically a severe thunderstorm watch... |
WCH |
| TOE | O2 | FI | 911 9-1-1 9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the... Telephone Outage Emergency |
ADV |
| TOR | O1 | CI | Tornado Warning Tornado warning A tornado warning is an alert issued by government weather services to warn that severe thunderstorms with tornadoes may be imminent. It can be issued after a tornado or funnel cloud has been spotted by eye, or more commonly if there are radar indications of tornado formation... |
WRN |
| TRA | O2 | CI | Tropical Storm Watch | WCH |
| TRW | O2 | CI | Tropical Storm Warning | WRN |
| TSA | O1 | TS | Tsunami Tsunami A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake... Watch |
WCH |
| TSW | O1 | TS | Tsunami Warning | WRN |
| VOW | O2 | FI | Volcano Warning | WRN |
| WSA | O1 | CI | Winter Storm Watch Winter Storm Watch A Winter Storm Watch is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when there is a potential for heavy snow or significant ice accumulations. The watch is usually issued at least 24 to 36 hours before the storm's arrival in the area... |
WCH |
| WSW | O1 | CI | Winter Storm Warning Winter Storm Warning A Winter Storm Warning is a statement made by the National Weather Service of the United States which means a winter storm is occurring or is about to occur in the area, usually within 24 hours. Generally, a Winter Storm Warning is issued if at least to or more of snow or or more of snow with... (Canada, see note below † ) |
WRN |
| ??A | O2 | CI | Unrecognized Watch | WCH |
| ??E | O2 | CI | Unrecognized Emergency | ADV |
| ??S | O2 | CI | Unrecognized Statement | ADV |
| ??W | O2 | CI | Unrecognized Warning | WRN |
- ** While the CEA standard lists the FZW event code as "Freeze Warning", Environment Canada refers to it as a "Frost Warning". However, it will be displayed as a "Freeze Warning" on receivers that are compliant to the CEA standard.
- † Environment Canada additionally uses the WSW event code to refer to any of the following weather conditions: Blowing Snow Warning, Freezing Drizzle Warning, Freezing Rain Warning, Snowfall Warning, Snow Squall Warning
- Internal Use Only:
- Receiver decoders that comply to the CEA standard will neither display the messages below, nor activate a warning tone if applicable. While the message will be stored in memory, it will not be displayed to the user. The FCC has also designated these event codes as being for "internal use only", and not for display. Environment Canada lists these messages as "Administrative Bulletins".
| Event Code | U.S. Type | CAN. Type | Event Description | Event Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TXB | O2 | AB | Transmitter backup on | ADV |
| TXF | O2 | AB | Transmitter carrier off | ADV |
| TXO | O2 | AB | Transmitter carrier on | ADV |
| TXP | O2 | AB | Transmitter primary on | ADV |
- Future Implementation:
- The following codes are part of the CEA standard for receiver decoders, but are not listed as currently being in use by any agencies in the United States. Environment Canada lists these codes as being "for future implementation".
| Event Code | U.S. Type | CAN. Type | Event Description | Event Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHW | NI | FI | Biological Hazard Biological hazard Biological hazards, refer to biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can impact human health. It can also include substances harmful to animals... Warning |
WRN |
| BWW | NI | FI | Boil Water Warning | WRN |
| CHW | NI | FI | Chemical Hazard Chemical hazard A chemical hazard arises from contamination of an area with harmful or potentially harmful chemicals. Possible sources of chemical hazards include the burning of fossils, materials and chemicals used in construction and industry, pollution of the environment and water supply, chemical spillages,... Warning |
WRN |
| CWW | NI | FI | Contaminated Water Warning | WRN |
| DBA | NI | FI | Dam Dam A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are... Watch |
WCH |
| DBW | NI | FI | Dam Break Warning | WRN |
| DEW | NI | FI | Contagious Disease Contagious disease A contagious disease is a subset category of infectious diseases , which are easily transmitted by physical contact with the person suffering the disease, or by their secretions or objects touched by them.... Warning |
WRN |
| EVA | NI | FI | Evacuation Emergency evacuation Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or... Watch |
WCH |
| FCW | NI | FI | Food Contamination Warning | WRN |
| IBW | NI | FI | Iceberg Iceberg An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice... Warning |
WRN |
| IFW | NI | FI | Industrial Fire Industrial fire An Industrial fire is a type of industrial disaster involving a conflagration which occurs in an industrial setting. Industrial fires often, but not always, occur together with explosions. They are most likely to occur in facilities where there is a lot of flammable material present. Such... Warning |
WRN |
| LSW | NI | FI | Land Slide Warning | WRN |
| POS | NI | FI | Power Outage Statement | ADV |
| WFA | NI | FI | Wild Fire Wildfire A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same... Watch |
WCH |
| WFW | NI | FI | Wild Fire Warning | WRN |
SAME on weather radio receivers
There are many weather/all-hazards radio receivers that are equipped with the SAME alert feature. It allows users to program SAME/FIPSFIPS county code
The FIPS county code is a five-digit Federal Information Processing Standard code which uniquely identifies counties and county equivalents in the United States, certain U.S. possessions, and certain freely associated states. The first two digits are the FIPS state code and the last three are...
/CLC
Forecast region
A forecast region is a unique geographical area for which individual weather reports are issued.-Canada:In Canada, the Meteorological Service divides the country into several forecast regions for the purpose of issuing routine text forecasts and weather warnings, as Canada's provinces and...
codes for their designated area or areas of their interest and/or concern rather than the entire broadcast area (Examples given: If a person were to live in Irving, Texas
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, he or she would program a FIPS code for Dallas
Dallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
County. However, if he or she needs to be in the know of severe weather from the west and northwest ahead of time, the user would program additional FIPS codes for Denton
Denton County, Texas
Denton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 432,976; in 2009 the estimated population had reached 628,300. Part of the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The county seat is Denton. The county...
and Tarrant
Tarrant County, Texas
Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, it had a population of 1,809,034. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County is the sixteenth most populous county in the United States and the third most populous in Texas. The county is named in honor...
Counties. On a more specialized receiver, a user has the option to eliminate any SAME alert codes that may not apply to their area such as a Special Marine Warning or a Coastal Flood Warning
Coastal flood warning
A Coastal Flood Warning is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when coastal flooding is either imminent or occurring along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or the Gulf of Mexico. The flooding must be due to water being forced from the nearby body of water onto...
. Once the SAME header is sent by NOAA/NWS and if it matches the desired code(s), the receivers then decode the event, scroll it on their display screens, and sound an alarm.
Receivers receive on one of the following National Weather Service network frequencies (in MHz): 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550. The signals are typically receivable up to 40 miles from the transmitters.
SAME in popular culture
- The SAME EOM (end of message) tone was heard in the movie trailer for Knowing, where its familiar emergency use and its increasing cadenceCadenceCadence may refer to:Music:*Cadence , a melodic configuration the end of a phrase, section, or piece of music*Cadence Magazine, a monthly review of jazz, blues and improvised music...
create a sense of forebodingForeshadowingForeshadowing or adumbrating is a literary device in which an author indistinctly suggests certain plot developments that might come later in the story.-Repetitive designation and Chekhov's gun:...
.
See also
- Common Alerting ProtocolCommon Alerting ProtocolThe Common Alerting Protocol is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting technologies. CAP allows a warning message to be consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning systems to many applications...
(CAP) — A SAME-compatible digital format for multi-system warning coordination.