 Whether it's a missing child, a terrorist threat, or the weather, wireless emergency alerts or WEA can save lives, as many of the warning systems already in use do. But most of those require you to be tuned in to the TV or the radio or logged onto the net. The power of the wireless emergency alert system is that you don't need any of that. All you need is a smartphone, which 61 percent of us have. The National Weather Service in San Diego began testing and using WEA in 2012. Since then, it's issued more than 140 flash flood warnings alone. It took just minutes for mountain roads to be transformed into rivers of mud Sunday afternoon. It's working as it should. When we put it out to a certain area, it goes to that certain area. WEA allows the National Weather Service to use cell towers to target who gets their warnings for flash floods, tornadoes, dust storms and tsunamis. Now keep in mind that these emergency alerts are specific to the highest threat area, meaning that here at Mission Beach, if a tsunami was expected to come ashore, only those folks here, the tourists and the residents, would be the ones to actually get those alerts. Alex Tardy shows us how they do it. So flash flood warning is up here. We go down here and say, how long? And then did public report flash flooding? Did Doppler radar report flash flooding? Did the media report flash flooding? They pick all those messages in there, and then they hit create text. Once they write the message, the next step is to select the geographical boundaries for the WEA warning. It's as simple as drawing a box around it, then... Hit send. Once they hit send, they don't do anything else. He says it's not perfect, but it's getting there. The concern right now is that it goes out to a larger population beyond that impacted, potentially impacted area. But the benefits far outweigh any concerns, including the challenges of determining who would issue any alerts, and communication between those agencies. And they do work in coordination with local jurisdictions, so that there is a coordinated effort to ensure the messaging is appropriate and proper for that area. And the WEA system works beyond weather warnings. Law enforcement is finding more and more uses for it, especially for Amber Alerts. We approved itself with the Yuba City PD in June. You know, in my 16-year career in law enforcement, this was the best I've ever seen. Shawna Pavey is talking about how, in record time, a wireless emergency alert helped catch a man whom police believed kidnapped three children. To have a situation where the first time we really had an active Amber Alert system come out on this and have such a positive result, to have three children return safely within five minutes is just phenomenal. Around here in Yuba City, Garender Judy is hero of the year. I didn't even believe it. I was like, what? He got the WEA warning, an Amber Alert for three missing kids. He knew instantly it was serious. There has to be something about it, you know. It's totally different. I've never seen anything on the phone like that before, right? And the timing was impeccable, and so was Judy's awareness. He got a good look at the plate, and it was a match. I was like, I was like a num, you know, I was like, what? Then, you know, that's when I call 911. Five minutes later, cops had the suspect boxed in and under arrest. WEA performed beyond expectation, and Yuba PD is sold on its capability and potential. Well, from a law enforcement perspective, this increases your eyes in the community exponentially. WEA can save lives, and it just may have on that day back in June, with a little help from an alert citizen. If people are aware, you know, if they know what's going on around the surroundings, you know, I think that thing works.