The government will soon be able to send warnings of national emergencies on wireless phones, Web sites and hand-held computers.

NEW ALERT SYSTEM:

Government will soon be able to send warnings of national emergencies

Program still in pilot stages

System expected to be working by end of next year

PARTICIPANTS:

Homeland Security Department

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Association of Public Television Stations

WHERE ALERTS WOULD BE:

Cell phones

Web sites

Hand-held computers

Other wireless devices

Cable TV channels

Satellite Radio

Traditional broadcast outlets

HOW TRANSMITTED

Text messages

Audio recordings

Video

Graphics

MORE POSSIBILITIES:

Could also send detailed information to hospitals, emergency responders

BACK TO THE FUTURE:

Updates emergency alerts planned but never used during Cold War

Those alerts were to have been used in the event of a nuclear strike

President Harry Truman created nation's first alert system in 1951

Old system required radio stations broadcast only on certain frequencies during emergencies

Evolved into the test on TV and radio stations that solemnly intoned: "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test."

NEW THREATS:

New Alert system would still warn of nuclear strike

Could warn of terrorist attacks

Would probably more often warn of natural disasters

EXPECTED COST:

$5.5 million to test and deploy nationally

Cost expected to be $1 million annually to maintain

NOT MANDATORY:

Customers can opt out if they want

STILL SOME GLITCHES:

Systems could jam when trying to alert all customers at the same time

(Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency)