Case Study - Presidential Inauguration 2009
Alert DC Emergency
Management &
Community
Notification Systems
Background
Largest Security Detail for a Presidential Inauguration Relies on Text
Messaging System from Cooper Notification
1st African American President
4 days of Inaugural Events: January 18 – 21, 2009
10 inaugural balls
58 Law Enforcement Agencies
70 Inaugural Events
1,000 FBI Agents
8,000 Additional Police Officers
10,000 National Guard Troops
240,000 Ticketed Guests
616,324 Washington Metro Passenger Trips
1.8 million people attended the Inaugural Ceremony - Record attendance for any event
held in Washington, D.C. = Largest Security Detail for a Presidential Inauguration
The Challenge
The Solution
With approximately 2 million people expected to attend the historic swearing in of
President Barack Obama, the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Agency (HSEMA) needed a reliable and interoperable emergency communications
system that would not only allow them to communicate internally among 58 law
enforcement agencies but also communicate externally to the public.
Internal Communications
The District of Columbia (DC) and surrounding jurisdictions relied on Cooper
Notification’s patented Roam Secure Alert Network™ (RSAN™) , an interoperable
emergency text messaging system, to coordinate the largest security and safety
operation for a presidential inauguration in the nation’s history. Known as Alert DC
and Arlington Alert, which were originally launched in 2002 to quickly mobilize first
responders and key personnel, were also utilized as the communications system
during President George W. Bush’s second Presidential Inauguration 2005, where an
estimated 300,000 people attended.
During the 56th Presidential Inauguration events, RSAN provided interoperable
internal communications among the law enforcement agencies. It allowed DC HSEMA
and their counterparts in surrounding counties and cities to efficiently respond to
emergencies by sending text messages to coordinate efforts among the different
law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), US
Secret Service, US Capitol Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Military.
Through RSAN’s intelligent tracking and response system, law enforcement personnel
were able to reply to alerts to help facilitate response efforts.
The majority of internal messages sent by DC HSEMA to the thousands of law
enforcement personnel were for managing crowd control. Other alerts included
dismantling of security check points, sending bomb squads to specific locations
for checking suspicious bags, scheduled street closures and non-scheduled street
closure notifications, for example, a water main break on 7th Street, and even sending
fire marshals to various Inaugural Balls.
External Communications
To create a safer and more secure environment for the approximately 1.8 million
inaugural attendees, Alert DC also enabled officials to communicate emergency
information to the public via text messages during the four-day ceremony at the
nation’s capitol.
Residents and visitors in the Washington DC area were encouraged to sign up for Alert
DC at https://textalert.ema.dc.gov/register.php or automatically enroll by texting DC
to 411911 from a text-enabled device. Arlington, Va. residents and visitors could sign
up for Arlington Alert at www.arlingtonalert.com or by texting 1801 to 411911. Those
wishing to receive alerts only during the Inauguration period could do so by checking
“Inaugural Alerts” on the registration page.
Alerts weren’t limited to just emergencies. Residents could also receive information on
inclement weather and transportation issues. Specific alerts sent to the public during
the inaugural events included information on shutting down the Washington Metro line
due to accident, road and bridge closures and openings, and winter weather advisory.
The Results
200 different internal alerts sent to public safety workers to coordinate activities,
generating 57,000 alerts in a 12-hour period
1.2 million messages sent to the public during President Barack Obama’s Inauguration Day
Incalculable - An emergency communications system that operated smooth as silk
20 0 9 P r e si de n t i a l I naugu r at ion “. . . A New Birt h of Fr e e d om ”
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863
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Actual Advertisement for Text
Alerting Registration for the
Presidential Inauguration 2009
Inaugural CS 01/10
NJ Location
273 Branchport Ave.
Long Branch, NJ 07740
P: 800-631-2148
F: 732-222-2588
www.coopernotification.com
Cooper Notification is
FL Location
7565 Commerce Ct.
Sarasota, FL 34243
P: 941-487-2300
F: 941-487-2389
device “1801” to 411911.
A free service of Arlington County.
Para información de seguridad inmediata puede registrarse en la alerta de Arlington
www.arlingtonalert.com or para un mensaje de texto llame al “1801” or 411911.
VA Location
4401 Wilson Boulevard, Ste. 220
Arlington, VA 22203
P: 877-459-7726
F: 703-294-6560
Notification