Warning Center
The California State Warning Center (CSWC) is the official State Warning Point. The CSWC is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week watching over California to identify potential and emerging threats, provide alert notification to all levels of government as well as critical situational awareness during an emergency or disaster. The mission of the CSWC is to be a central intelligence hub for statewide emergency communications and notifications. Serving as a highly reliable and accurate “one-stop” resource for emergency management, law enforcement, fire, and key decision making personnel throughout the state.
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California State Warning Plan
Alert and warning capabilities and dissemination channels
Emergency Alert System
System used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information
Alert & Warning
Program to provide guidance and support to Local Alerting Authorities
Notifications:
Annually, CSWC staff make over 1,155,000 notifications due to weather related warnings, fires, power outages or power utility Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), seismic incidents, and other significant and potentially significant incidents that may have emergency management impacts to California. In addition, CSWC staff complete an average of 10,000 hazardous material spill reports, which results in more than 395,000 hazardous materials notifications to federal, state and local government agencies.
Situational Awareness and Intelligence
The CSWC produces the Cal OES Daily Situation Report which is a statewide snapshot of emergency management situational awareness from a state perspective. Intelligence for this report comes from verified sources such as Cal OES Law Enforcement, Cal OES Fire Branch, Cal OES Regions, National Weather Service, and various State Agencies. This report is published to governmental emergency management partners seven days a week at 1000 hours.
CSWC Responsibilities
The CSWC has the responsibility to receive, coordinate, verify and disseminate information pertaining to events which occur within California or that could affect California. Information received by the CSWC is coordinated between Cal OES and other sources to ensure that the information which is disseminated is both timely and accurate. Procedures have been established for the handling of such incidents as:
- Major fires
- Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)
- Earthquakes
- Tsunamis
- Floods
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Missing or overdue aircraft
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Search and rescues
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Radiation incidents
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Hazardous material releases
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Suspicious activity
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Nuclear Incidents
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Severe weather
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Train derailments
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Power outages
Warning Center
Contact Information
(916) 845-8911
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – National Weather Service
The CSWC works alongside the National Weather Service (NWS) to provide weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for California for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy.