PINOLE, Calif. (KGO) -- An emergency alert system is being credited with helping authorities find a missing grandmother from Fairfield and her two grandchildren on Thursday.
To help find the family, the California Highway Patrol activated the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system within a 2.5-mile radius of several license plate reader hits in the Pinole area.
RELATED: CHP says missing Fairfield grandmother, 2 grandchildren found safe
The Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) Act established WEA in 2008 and launched in 2012.
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Officials are encouraging everyone to activate these alerts on their cellphones.
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For iPhone, you can activate the alerts: go to settings, notifications, and scroll to the bottom and tap emergency alerts.