Will you get the alert? Emergency warnings expand in North Texas ahead of World Cup

FIFA Host cities, including Arlington and Frisco, are now ready to use the nation's most wide-reaching wireless emergency alert system

Arlington officials say they will be ready to send emergency warnings to cell phones using the nation's most far-reaching wireless emergency alert system, IPAWS, before World Cup games begin at "Dallas Stadium."

FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) can reach every cell phone in a defined geographic area, provided alerts are enabled on the user's phone. Officials said it has been a race to secure both the technology and federal approval to deploy the system before the first World Cup game kicks off in Arlington.

Arlington Emergency Management Administrator Irish Hancock said the city believed it was important to issue those alerts directly, given the scale of the World Cup and the number of visitors expected in the city.

"We have nine Super Bowls, and it's over the course of four weeks," Hancock said.

IPAWS has existed for more than a decade. But as NBC 5 Investigates reported last year, many Texas cities and counties still cannot use the system, often because they never signed up. Arlington submitted its application to the federal government in August and received approval from FEMA in recent weeks.

"So adding this extra tool in our toolbox is a more complete way to ensure that we're able to alert whoever is here, guests, visitors, or citizens of any imminent threat that could impact them," Hancock said.

Hancock said city staff have been training on the new system ahead of the first match.

"We have no choice but to make sure this happens and be prepared for when the first match occurs on June 14," Hancock said.

Researchers who study emergency alerts say IPAWS could be especially important during the World Cup because it is the only wireless alert system capable of reaching all phones, including visitors who may not be signed up for local voluntary alert systems.

"So even people who are traveling in from other parts of the United States or other countries will be able to receive those messages if they're within the vicinity of a cell tower that is issuing and broadcasting those messages," said Jeannette Sutton, a University at Albany researcher who studies emergency alerts. With IPAWS, emergency managers can even create a geofence around a specific location, such as a stadium, and send alerts only to phones within that area.

Frisco officials said that capability is one reason the city signed up to use IPAWS ahead of the World Cup. Frisco will host the Swedish national team's base camp.

"If we had something, say, around the FC Dallas stadium, Toyota Stadium, we can put that target audience in, we could let them know if there's something going on," said Kelly Kistner, assistant fire chief with the Frisco Fire Department.

Experts said that once communities gain access to IPAWS, it is also important to prepare alert messages in advance of an emergency. Sutton developed a FEMA tool designed to help communities craft effective emergency instructions for situations ranging from weather disasters to security threats.

"Cities that are new users for the IPAWS system really need to spend time thinking about how those messages are going to be constructed and what they will say," Sutton said.

Arlington officials said they have been developing messages with assistance from other cities that already use the system. With large crowds expected across North Texas, emergency managers said now is a good time to check phones and make sure alerts have not been disabled.

"We always recommend to keep your alerts on and active because that's how you're going to find out if there's something going on around you, something you need to be aware of. It can be life-saving," Kistner said.

How to check emergency alert settings on your phone

On iPhone:

• Open Settings.
• Tap Notifications.
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
• Review and select the types of alerts you want to receive, including Emergency Alerts, Public Safety Alerts and AMBER Alerts.

On Android:

• Open the Settings app.
• Go to Safety and Emergency, then Wireless Emergency Alerts.
• Use the toggles to enable the alerts you want to receive.
• If those options are not visible, search for "wireless emergency alerts" in the Settings search bar.

Officials said keeping emergency alerts enabled can provide important updates during emergencies. Currently, IPAWS supports English and Spanish. The FCC has mandated that additional languages be added over time. Until then, officials suggest visitors keep a translation app on their phones in case they need help reading an alert message.