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Each FIPS code identifies a specific
geographic area (defined by the Na-
tional Weather Service), so your scan-
ner sounds an alert only when a
weather emergency is declared in that
area. This helps you more efficiently
track the weather conditions in and
around your area.
When a Weather Alert Occurs
When the scanner receives a weather
alert:
• it sounds a series of beeps
• an indicator appears
The scanner also receives other
weather-related signals such as test
events (
TSt
appears) and other
events (
---
appears)
Warning:
The NWS (National Weath-
er Service) uses sophisticated weath-
er models to determine an alert’s
effective time. However, the end of an
alert does not necessarily mean that
the related weather emergency is
over.
Note:
Once the scanner receives the
SAME code, it retains the information
in the scanner’s memory. This infor-
mation stays in memory even if you
change modes, but is erased when
you turn the scanner off.
Understanding FIPS Codes
For the purpose of broadcasting
weather information, the NWS has di-
vided the United States into regions
by state and county (or parish, where
applicable) then assigned a 6-digit
FIPS code to identify each county or
parish. For example, the code for Tar-
rant County, Texas, is 048439.
The first
digit in a
FIPS code
identifies
the county
subdivi-
sion, the
next two
digits identify the state, and the last
three digits identify the county or par-
ish.
Note:
Most FIPS codes begin with 0,
which means the code represents an
entire county. The NWS, however,
plans to eventually subdivide some
large counties. When that happens,
each subdivision will be assigned a
digit from 1–9, resulting in codes such
as 148439, 248439, and so on.
Your scanner can receive all SAME
alert signals broadcast within about a
50-mile radius of where you installed
it. To receive SAME alerts and broad-
casts about weather occurring only in
particular counties within that area,
you can program up to fifteen FIPS
codes into the scanner’s memory (see
“Entering Your Area’s FIPS Code(s)”
048439
State
County Subdivision
County/
Parish
20-432.fm Page 26 Friday, July 14, 2000 11:30 AM