Using NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) to Enhance School and Higher Education Emergency Preparedness and Response. Fact Sheet

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios (NWRs) can be used by education agencies before, during, and after an emergency. The information collected through the NWR may be used to determine which annexes (whether functional or threat- or hazard-specific) should be activated. Furthermore, NWRs may be used to receive information in the event of a power outage, a Wi-Fi outage, or an overloaded mobile phone network. They provide a reliable source of information that will be aligned with information received by local community partners and state-level partners who may support response. This fact sheet is intended for administrators, teachers, faculty, and staff at K-12 schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to use to prepare to receive emergency notifications. It provides information on the NWR, including key features to look for when purchasing an NWR, where to station NWR receivers on the school campus, where to obtain more information specific to your area, and integration of NWR receivers when practicing the plan.