Weather Radios: Programming

Codes
Operation Tips

National Weather Service radios with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoder) circuitry allows them to be programmed with local county/city codes. Each code represents a specific geographic area so the weather radio alerts only if the Shelter-in-Place emergency is in programmed local area.

The National Weather Service has established national regions by state and county, and assigned a 6-digit FIPS (Federal Information Processing System) code to identify each county. The code for Contra Costa County is 06013. “06” designates California, and “013” designates Contra Costa County. Contra Costa County has been divided into nine subdivisions that have been assigned numbers 1-9. That number is added to the beginning of the FIPS code for SAME programming. Follow the programming instructions that came with the radio to enter the correct code.

Contra Costa County Programming Codes:

Codes can also be found on the Internet on the National Weather Service Web site.

Weather Radio Operation Tips:

• Plug the radio into AC power for continuous use, and rely on the battery back-up in case of a power outage.
  
• Find a location for the weather radio that provides the best reception, such as near a window and away from obstructions such as metal cabinets or shelves. (In some geographic locations in the county, an outside antenna may be required for good reception.)
  
• Set the radio to receive all alerts in the County OR program it to receive only alerts for the FIPS area from the above chart for the area where you live.
  
• Monitor your radio to ensure it is receiving the regular weekly test broadcast by the NWS every Wednesday between 11:00 am and 1:00 p.m. Most models will display “CHECK OPS” if the weekly test was not received, prompting the user to check that the radio is operating properly.