Weather Radios

Contra Costa County is now using National Weather Service radios as part of its Community Warning System to alert the public in case of a hazardous materials release. Weather radios sound an alert tone followed by a voice message if a Shelter-in-Place advisory is issued.

This page provides information on using weather radios to receive notification information about Shelter-in-Place emergencies in Contra Costa County. The CCC CAER Group has provided weather radios to schools, nursing homes and other group facilities in the county’s industrial corridor. Anyone may purchase a weather radio from electronics stores such as Radio Shack, and program it to receive Shelter-in-Place advisories.

How will I know if there is a Shelter-in-Place emergency in my community?

National Weather Service radios are now part of the Community Warning System in Contra Costa County. These radios will alert and provide a voice message if emergency response officials issue a Shelter-in-Place advisory.

Employees of Hormann America, the County's Comunity Warning System contractor, install a weather radio at Deer Valley High School in Antioch.

Other alerting methods include the outdoor Safety Sirens in the industrial corridor of the county, radio and TV alerts (CAER recommends tuning to KCBS 740 AM in Contra Costa County) and email advisories (sign up at www.incident.com). Contra Costa County also has an emergency telephone calling system that will dial residents and businesses in the affected area and play a recorded message with Shelter-in-Place instructions. Shelter-in-Place information in English, Tagalog and Spanish will be scrolled on all CCTV channels in the county (check local program guides for the CCTV channel in your area).

What’s new about NWS Radios?

Contra Costa County is now using weather radios to broadcast Shelter-in-Place advisories. Radio owners with SAME-type radios will be able to selectively receive alerts for a specific geographic area without having to receive alerts for other areas in the county. The county has been divided into nine zones to take advantage of this enhanced capability. While all alerts are currently being broadcast countywide, the nine zones will be utilized in the near future for more specific messaging by location.

Where can I buy a NWS Radio?

Most local electronic and/or office supply stores either stock or can order a NWS type radio. Choose a model with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) capability. These radios generally cost less than $75.

You can also purchase them online from Radio Shack or in one of their stores.

How do I program my NWS radio?

Programming codes and operation tips...

Who can I contact if I have questions?

For additional information, please contact one of the following people:

• Randy Sawyer, CCC Health Services Department, Hazardous Materials Programs Office at (925) 646-2286
• Tony Semenza, Contra Costa County CAER Group, Inc. (toll-free) at (888) 972-2237 (CAER) or (925) 313-9296. Or e-mail CCC CAER at cccaer@pacbell.net.

Weather Radio Related Links:

National Weather Service radio Internet site
Hormann America weather radio Internet site
Radio Shack Internet site