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1.3 User Eligibility

Emergency Alert System Criteria

Since NWEMs transmitted via HazCollect are intended for Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcast, the primary criteria for HazCollect user eligibility is based on Federal Communication Commission (FCC) rules, as implemented through state and local EAS plans. State and local government officials authorized to issue EAS warnings are specified in these plans.

If you represent a local jurisdiction that does NOT have a Local EAS Plan, you are encouraged to form a Local Emergency Communications Committee (LECC) and develop a local plan in coordination with your NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) and area broadcasters.

Other Criteria

  1. Beyond EAS plans, state statutes or local ordinances may confer warning authority. In addition, there are a number of other government programs with written plans that may also be relied upon for eligibility, including:
    1. State/Tribal/Local Emergency Management Program (Warning Annex)
    1. State/Regional/Local Amber Alert Program
    1. Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program
    1. Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program
    1. Other hazard specific emergency plans or interjurisdictional agreements

HazCollect Review Group

  1. User eligibility is evaluated by the HazCollect Review Group (HRG), as described in National Weather Service Instruction 10-1708. The HRG is the official NWS team that manages the HazCollect Participant Approval Process, in accordance with written guidelines.

    1. Not only is the general eligibility of a user identified, but also the geographical extent of the user's warning authority.
    1. The lowest level of geography available to the HazCollect system for most parts of the country is the county/parish level; however, government organizations with a jurisdiction smaller than a county or parish, (e.g. cities), are also eligible. These smaller jurisdictions should coordinate participation with county and state officials.
    1. For organizations with statewide or regional scope, multiple counties/parishes may be authorized.
    1. The HazCollect server validates the geographic scope of an NWEM to the issuing organization. If the NWEM is issued out of scope, the message is rejected.
    1. At this time, the HazCollect system cannot validate a user to the NWEM message type level of detail. For example, if an applicant is authorized to issue Amber Alerts only (a Child Abduction Emergency, CAE) and is granted access to HazCollect, there is no technical mechanism to prevent that user from issuing ANY type of NWEM.
  1. If an NWEM is issued that is beyond the scope of a user's authority, or does not meet EAS alerting criteria or conform to warning best practices (see Chapter 4), the HRG may review and revoke a user's HazCollect authorization.
See the references below for further information related to eligibility. Then check your knowledge via the self-assessment quiz on the next page.
Tip Tip Still not sure if you are eligible? Consult your state Emergency Management Agency to determine whether any state-specific restrictions apply. Consult your area NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist.
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