WSAH Support Article & Device Compatibility Guide

Overview

The Wildfire Surveillance & Alerting Hub (WSAH) is an official, non-commercial emergency alerting application engineered by the EFPRP's Technical Solutions & Digital Development Division (TS&DD).

Designed for maximum reliability and ultra-low resource consumption during critical emergencies, WSAH delivers:

• Real-Time Wildfire Alerts across the European Union (EU).

  
  

• Live Situational Updates as active incidents evolve.

  
  

• Official Evacuation Order Relays issued by European civil protection and emergency management authorities.

  
  

Because WSAH omits heavy interactive maps and commercial ad frameworks in its initial release, the application runs effortlessly on both modern flagships and older entry-level devices, requiring just 15 MB of storage and 1 GB of RAM.

Unsupported countries

Below, you will find the full list of countries where WSAH is currently not supported.

*These countries are subject to US embargos or are sanctioned territories. Because we use NASA FIRMS for some detections, we are not allowed to distribute the app to US-embargoed countries.

Note:

"Not planned" keeps the door open for future evaluation without committing resources.

"To Be Determined" signals active exploration and intent to expand.

"No" communicates that support has been permanently discarded.

System Requirements & Technical Specifications

To install and run the WSAH Android application, your device must meet the following minimum technical specifications:

How to Verify If Your Device Is Compatible

1. Direct Google Play Check (Recommended): Open the Google Play Store app on your Android phone or tablet and navigate to the official EFPRP WSAH store listing. If the Install button is visible and active, your exact hardware model and OS build are fully certified.

   
   

2. Manual Hardware Verification: Check your device settings under Settings > About Phone (or About Tablet):

   
   

   • Confirm your Android Version is 8.0 or higher.

     
     

   • Confirm your device has at least 1 GB of RAM and 15 MB of available storage.

     
     

   • Confirm your device includes the official Google Play Store.

     (Note: Devices without Google Mobile Services, such as certain newer Huawei devices running HarmonyOS/EMUI without Play Services or custom de-Googled ROMs, cannot receive Google Play push notifications).

     
     

Configuring Your Device for Reliable Emergency Alerts

Because WSAH is a life-safety tool that relays real-time wildfire alerts and evacuation orders, it is essential that your Android operating system does not block or delay notifications when your phone is in your pocket or asleep.

Please verify the following settings after installing WSAH:

Step 1: Grant Notification Permissions (Required on Android 13+)

On devices running Android 13 (API 33) through Android 16 (API 36), apps must request explicit permission before showing alerts:

1. Open WSAH after installation and tap Allow when prompted to send notifications.
2. To verify manually, go to Settings > Apps > WSAH > Notifications and ensure All WSAH Notifications is toggled ON.

Step 2: Disable Battery Optimization / Background Restrictions

Some Android manufacturers aggressively put apps to sleep to save battery, which can delay incoming evacuation alerts:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > WSAH > App Battery Usage (or Battery).
2. Select Unrestricted (or Don't Optimize), allowing WSAH to receive high-priority push relays in the background at all times.

Step 3: Allow Alerts During "Do Not Disturb" (Recommended)

Wildfires often break out or shift rapidly overnight. To ensure critical evacuation order relays can wake you:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > WSAH > Notifications.
2. Toggle Override Do Not Disturb to ON.

The specific path and configuration setting name can change from device to device. Make sure that you allow notifications during Do Not Disturb.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is WSAH available in 166 countries if it only monitors wildfires in the European Union?

Wildfires in the EU affect more than year-round local residents. Millions of international tourists visit fire-prone European regions each summer, and millions of citizens living abroad have elderly parents, family members, or property inside the EU. By making WSAH available across 166 countries, travelers can install and configure the app before departing for Europe, and family members abroad can monitor real-time EU alerts and evacuation orders from anywhere in the world.

Does the app include a live wildfire map?

No. This initial release of WSAH is purposefully engineered around our streamlined core: real-time text alerts, live situational updates, and official evacuation order relays. Leaving out heavy map rendering keeps the app size under 15 MB, ensures smooth operation on devices with just 1 GB of RAM, and allows alerts to load over weak cellular connections during an active emergency. Additional features will be introduced in updates later this year.

What languages are currently supported?

The initial Android release launches in English to immediately serve a broad cross-section of EU residents and international visitors. Our Technical Solutions & Digital Development Division (TS&DD) is actively developing multi-language support, which will roll out in future updates to ensure full accessibility across European and global languages.

Does WSAH require a subscription or display advertisements?

Never. WSAH is a nonprofit public safety initiative by the EFPRP. It is free to download and use, with zero ads or in-app purchases.