National Warning System (NAWAS)
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A dedicated, commercially leased, nationwide voice telephone warning system operated on a 24-hour basis, with a National Warning Center and an Alternate National Warning Center staffed by attack warning officers. Special purpose telephone circuits connect the National and Alternate National Warning Centers (NAWAS) to the following: Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters and regional offices; selected Federal departments and agencies; military installations; and State, county, and city warning points. NAWAS is the only national system designed and maintained to warn the public of a nuclear attack or a natural or manmade disaster.