Conditions For Use Of The
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Logo

NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is an operational program of the National Weather Service (NWS). The National Weather Service, an organizational entity of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States Department of Commerce, operates the Weather Forecast Offices throughout the United States and its possessions. Broadcasts of routine weather information, weather forecasts, and warnings of severe weather originate at each Weather Forecast Office.

A NOAA Weather Radio receiver is one that is capable of receiving weather and/or warning information from NWS Weather Forecast Offices, approved Department of Homeland Security offices responsible for the dissemination of warning information, and those Emergency Operation Centers that have been specifically authorized to disseminate warnings on the NWR operational frequencies.

NWR provides 24 hour broadcasts of local weather information and warnings of severe weather specific to each of its broadcast locations. The NWR program also has the distinction of providing warning information for any and all hazards that may affect the communities served by local NWR broadcasts, as well as warnings that are disseminated on a state and/or national level. The scope of the all hazard warnings include both natural and man made situations that would mandate notification and/or advisories to citizens in the broadcast area. State and national warnings also include terrorist activity and/or situations of civil unrest. The warning situations mentioned herein are not all inclusive but go to defining the scope of the warning capabilities of NWR.

The NWR All Hazards logo is a registered trade mark of the National Weather Service. Any request for the use of this logo must be in writing (see application at http://www.weather.gov/nwr/allhazard_logo_info.htm). Authorization to use the NWR All Hazards logo will be in writing and specific to model of equipment or specific events or activity.

Use of this logo on warning devices stipulates that the product which displays this symbol will reliably provide the services mentioned above. Manufacturers that submit their products for assessment and evaluation for use of the NWR All Hazards logo are responsible for ensuring their products meet the minimum requirements for alert receivers as specified in the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Standard 2009-A (or the current revision thereof). The NWR Program Office will evaluate each receiver that is submitted for authorization to use the logo to ensure compliance with the CEA 2009-A.

It must be noted that the NWR Program Office is not a testing facility or certification laboratory. Manufacturers submitting product samples to the NWR Program Office for evaluation for use of the NWR logo should not expect to receive certification of their product. Product certification remains the responsibility of the manufacturer. The NWR Program Office will verify manufacturers testing and certification and their product’s compliance with the specifications contained in CEA 2009-A. To assist the NWR Program Office in verification of compliance, the manufacturer is required to submit a copy of their internal test results of the product as they relate to the specifications contained in CEA 2009-A. To order CEA 2009-A, go to http://global.ihs.com

Product samples submitted to the NWR Program Office for evaluation must be fully operational and perform as described in the owner’s manual (also submitted with samples). Pre-production samples may be submitted, at the discretion of the manufacturer, but the weather band receiver and warning devices must function properly, as described in the owners manual and meet the specifications detailed in CEA 2009-A. Any pre-production products and/or documentation submitted to the NWR Program Office will not be disclosed to any other parties and will be maintained by the NWR Program Office as proprietary information.

The NWR Program Office will, at its discretion, forward product samples to an independent laboratory for comprehensive testing and evaluation to determine compliance with the CEA 2009-A specifications. Should a submitted product fail to meet the specifications of the CEA 2009-A specification, the NWR Program Office will advise the manufacturer of testing results. Products may be re-submitted to the NWR Program Office for evaluation upon correction of deficiencies noted during evaluation.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receivers operate on 7 channels in the 162 Megahertz band. The channels are 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550 MHz. The NWR All Hazards receiver must be capable of selecting all 7 channels. NWR broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from FM transmitters located throughout the United States and its territories.

In addition, NWR receivers produce an audible warning tone and a visual warning light or L.E.D. These warning devices activate when the receiver receives a warning signal from the broadcast location. When a broadcast is designed to activate a warning device on a NWR receiver, a 1050 Hz tone is transmitted from the broadcast location which, in turn, activates the warning devices on the NWR receiver. If the NWR receiver is in a “stand-by” mode, the activation of the warning devices will cause the receiver to switch to active mode.

The NWR receiver will also provide, at a minimum, text description of the event that caused the activation of the warning device. Devices that incorporate other features, such as AM/FM radios, will often cause the additional feature to mute and allow the warning broadcast to be heard in its place for a set duration of time. When a warning is received, the listener will be able to listen to the live warning broadcast on the receiver.

Unless the receiver is a hand-held or vehicle mounted model, the NWR receiver will be powered by standard household current and incorporate a battery back-up power supply. Receivers that incorporate a hand-cranked generator for power in emergency situations will also have an AC power adapter that will supply normal household current.

The most desired feature of NWR All Hazards receivers is Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.). S.A.M.E. is the digitally encoded feature that allows NWR All Hazards receivers to alert only to warnings that are specific to a location, It also allow the receiver to program “Event Codes” that provide warnings for man-made as well as weather related hazards. Many of these warnings are generated from Emergency Managers and Homeland Security agencies. Obtain more information and technical requirements on S.A.M.E. at http://www.weather.gov/nwr/nwrsame.htm.

Transmission of a digital code will prompt NWR All Hazard S.A.M.E. receivers to activate and cause the receiver to produce audible and visual warning signals. There are three colors of warning lights that correspond to weather statements, weather watches, and weather warnings that are broadcast by the Weather Forecast Office when S.A.M.E. is activated. Transmission of a digitally encoded event code determines which color warning light is activated and is the basis for the all hazards features of the NWR receiver. CEA 2009-A provides extensive technical parameters for S.A.M.E.

NWR All Hazards receivers may be combined in products that incorporate other features. Receivers may be vehicle mounted, Citizen Band receivers, components of televisions and computers, AM/FM radios, and a myriad of other features and functions. The evaluation of the receiver for use of the NWR logo will only concentrate on the weather band receiver.

Application for use of the NWR All Hazards logo may be submitted for logo display on warning alert equipment (and associated packaging), educational and/or promotional materials, web pages, and other equipment and/or material that promote NOAA Weather Radio. Any use of the NWR All Hazards logo is subject to review by the NWR Program Office and the National Weather Service Office of General Council prior to approval of any request.

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Conditions and Requirements for use of the All Hazards NOAA Weather Radio logo are enumerated here.

1. Use of the NWR logo must be specifically authorized in writing by the Director of NOAA’s National Weather Service, or his designee. All requests for use of the NWR logo will be evaluated by the NOAA Weather Radio Program Office, and the National Weather Service Office of General Council.

2. Authorization to use the NWR logo is specific to the purpose or item indicated in the submitted application and contained in the letter of approval for use of the NWR logo issued by the National Weather Service. Approval to use the NWR logo does not represent global authorization for use by the organization, company, or individual requesting use.

3. The size and color of the logo may be changed to contrast with equipment or packaging background colors. However, the logo design or shape must not be altered in any way. The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo may not be defiled in any way, nor used with or in conjunction with any phrase, slogan, comment, endorsement, advertisement, or promotion, unless specifically authorized in writing by the Director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

4. All requests for use of the NWR logo on equipment, electronic devices, packaging, educational material, publications, patches/decals, or video media, must be evaluated by the NWR Program Office. Product samples, packaging samples, copies of media and/or educational material must be submitted with the application for review, showing how the NWR logo will be displayed.

5. With respect to audio receivers, telephones, and other electronic devices, NWR logo authorization is specific to a manufacturer’s brand and model of device. If an approved brand and model of device is subsequently redistributed by a re-seller, retailer, or similar organization, the authorization to use the logo is not affected.

6. While the NWR logo authorization is specific to a manufacturers brand and model of device, publication, media, and other items mentioned above, any change, modification, enhancement, or upgrade to the approved brand and model will necessitate a re-evaluation of the product. The same procedures that were followed during the initial evaluation of the product will be required. This will include submission of a new evaluation application/request. Ensure changes made to the product are specified on the re-evaluation request along with the model number of the product prior to changes being made and any change in model number as a result of the changes.

7. Authorization to use and display the NWR logo on an approved item/product has no expiration date. Any change and/or modification of the item or product will require a new application for logo usage.

8. Technical advances and/or changes in the definition and operation of NWR receivers that substantially changes the function of NWR receivers will be communicated to the manufacturer with specific details of required changes in technology. Receivers approved to use the NWR logo that are made obsolete by such technological changes will no longer be authorized to use the NWR logo. Sufficient advanced notification will be made to the manufacturers by the NWR Program Office, when possible, so corporate decisions can be made concerning their product line.

9. Non-adherence to any of the conditions specified in these instructions will be considered sufficient cause to revoke authorization to use the NWR logo and referred to the National Weather Service Office of General Council.