Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
IPAWS
Get Alerts, Stay Alive
IPAWS Overview for Region VII RECCWG Meeting
January 29, 2013
What is the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System?
•
IPAWS is a national public warning system for the President but…
…intended to be used by State and Local officials during emergencies
– DHS FEMA is tasked to create “an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive
system to alert and warn the American people in situations of war, terrorist attack, natural
disaster, or other hazards to public safety and well-being (public alert and warning system),
taking appropriate account of the functions, capabilities, and needs of the private sector and of all
levels of government in our Federal system, and to ensure that under all conditions the President
can communicate with the American people.”
- (Executive Order 13407 June 2006)
– IPAWS provides access to send emergency alerts to the public via:
• radio and television through the Emergency Alert System (47 CFR Part 11-EAS)
• cellular phones through the Wireless Emergency Alerts service (47 CFR Part 10-CMAS)
• NOAA National Weather System All Hazards Radio through the HazCollect System.
Who can use IPAWS?
– Public safety officials granted the authority to alert the public of emergency situations through
federal, state, and local laws. Typical organizations are:
• State Government, Local Government (county, city, public safety, etc), Tribal and
Territorial Governments
Other public or private sector organizations may be eligible in coordination with local government.
Are you required to use IPAWS? No.
2
IPAWS is Operational Now!
Capabilities online:
• Initial Operational Capabilities online in Oct 2011.
• Initial WEA/CMAS tests conducted in Dec 2011.
• NOAA started using IPAWS to send severe
weather alerts via WEA/CMAS in Jun 2012
National EAS – emergency alert broadcast from the President across all
radio and TV
 State & Local Alerts via IPAWS to:
– Local radio and TV stations participating in local EAS
– Cell carriers for broadcast to all cell phones in a danger zone as Wireless
Emergency Alerts (WEA) (aka CMAS)
– NOAA for broadcast over local NOAA Weather All Hazards Radio
– Websites and services
• Public alerts published to IPAWS alert feed for distribution by internet information services and
applications that choose to monitor IPAWS for alert information
State/local/other IPAWS users as of December 6:
• 23 States with Public Alerting Authority
• 62 Counties with Public Alerting Authority: 62
- 3 additional States & 42 Counties have access for info exchange only
list posted at http://www.fema.gov/alerting-authorities/integrated-public-alert-warning-system-authorities)
3
IPAWS Architecture with National EAS
National Emergency Alert System (EAS)
President
FEMA
Operations
Centers
FEMA PEP Stations
• XM Siris Radio
• NPR
• Premier Radio Networks
FEMA PEP Stations in Region VII:
• KFYR Bismarck ND
• KERR Polson, MT
• KWDZ Salt Lake City, UT
• KOA Denver CO
IPAWS
OPEN
Alert Aggregator/
Gateways
4
Local alerting systems – typical examples
Alerting Authorities
Emergency
Management
Local Authorities
Police
Local Alerting Systems
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•
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•
Emergency Telephone Networks (e.g. Reverse911)
Subscription based services (e.g. ISAWS/My State)
Siren and sign systems
Local NWS Weather Forecast Office
911 Call Center
State Authorities
Emergency
Others?
Local Radio
and TV
IPAWS is not intended to replace local
alerting systems. But local systems can
be integrated for additional capabilities!
5
Local alerting system integration with IPAWS
Local Unique Alerting
Systems
Alerting Authorities
Emergency
Management
Local
Local Authorities
Local
Police
911 Call Center
IPAWS Public Alerting Channels
State Authorities
Local Public
Emergency Alert System
Emergency
All Radio and TV
Others?
Commercial Mobile Alert
System (CMAS)
cell phones
IPAWS Spec
CAP Interface
IPAWS
OPEN
NOAA
HazCollect
Internet Services
NWS
web applications,
widgets, sites,
social media
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Caveats
To leverage the IPAWS capabilities and public alerting channels:
Need an IPAWS-compatible software tool:
– CAP IPAWS USA Specification 1.2 compliant software that interoperates
with IPAWS-OPEN
– Several vendor have demonstrated to the program office posting of a
digitally signed CAP message to the IPAWS-OPEN test environment
• Caveat! We don’t know how well or easy it is to use or integrate their tools.
• list of vendors with MOA’s to develop and test against is posted on IPAWS
website
– FEMA grant programs include language that can be used to plan for, buy,
maintain and/or enhance alert and warning tools and programs.
Need State/Territorial/Tribal authorization for Public Alerting Authority in your
area
Need to coordinate with your local EAS Participants to carry your alerts
Need to coordinate with your local NOAA NWS Weather Forecast Office for
approval to broadcast Non Weather Emergency Messages over NOAA All
Hazards Weather Radio
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Alert Origination Software / tools validated against IPAWS-OPEN
 138 of 173 vendor applicants have MOAs for IPAWS test access (as of 6 Dec 2012)
Preparedness-Technology, Analysis, and Coordination (P-TAC) Center (previously
called NIMS STEP) is adding evaluation of IPAWS compatible alerting tools to their
program. First evaluations should start in April 2013. see
https://www.ptaccenter.org/step/index for additional info
 Alerting software we have seen work in demos, tests, etc:
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MyState USA
Comlabs EMnet
NC4 Eteam
Eyestreet Solutions On The Go Alerting
MITRE IC.Net
Global Security Systems Alert
ECN CodeRED
Monroe DasEOC
Buffalo Computer Graphics DisasterLAN
Interop Paraclete
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Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) /
Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS)
 Significantly Different from SMS/email based  WEA messages are
alerting systems
free to alerters and
alertees – no usage or
– Not subscription based -- true location
text message charges
based alerting
– geographically targeted messages to
phones in an area - not to a database of  IPAWS is the only way to access the
phone numbers
Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS)
to send Wireless Emergency Alerts
– 90 character message limit
(WEA)
– For “Alerts” only…. not for notification
type messages. Only for emergencies
 Cellular carrier participation voluntary
categorized as:
• Imminent Threat (Severity, Urgency, Certainty)
• AMBER / Child Abduction Emergency
• Presidential Alerts
– 112 carriers have opted-in
 Citizens may opt-out of receiving alerts
– New phones are delivered opted-in
 Uses “cell broadcast” technology to send
messages to any cell phone in range of a
tower.
 Avoids Network Congestion - Uses
different path than voice or SMS text
messages that can be congested during
heavy usage periods.
9
Wireless Emergency Alerts – WEA
Commercial Mobile Alert System - CMAS
As of December 2012
56
• Wireless Carriers Online
• Includes: VZW
Sprint
US Cellular
Alltel
AT&T
T-Mobile
MetroPCS
•Status
• 112 Wireless Carriers have “Opted-In” to CMAS
• “FCC Regulatory start” date was April 7, 2012
• Carrier network readiness and handset availability varies
• Carrier is the only source of info about network and handset status
10
Wireless Emergency Alerts – WEA
Carrier Implementation Differences:
Carriers do WEA a bit differently – but all within regulatory requires per FCC
Examples:
• Area that an alert is broadcast to:
o Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T attempt to broadcast Alert only to the
area indicated in the CAP message
o Verizon Wireless broadcasts alert to all counties included in
the alert zone
•
(i.e. a small alert zone that overlaps the corners of three counties
is broadcast from every Verizon tower in all three counties)
• Phone displays can be slightly different, but:
• Alert “pops up” on home screen when received
• 90 character message is displayed
• Alert tone and vibration is same on each phone
• Tone can be muted by user settings
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Snapshot of WEA Compatible Phones so far…
Verizon Wireless
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BlackBerry Bold™ 9930
BlackBerry Curve™ 9310
BlackBerry Curve 9330
BlackBerry Torch™ 9850
Casio GZ One Commando®
Casio GZ One Ravine®
DROID Incredible by HTC
DROID Incredible 4G LTE by HTC
HTC Rhyme™
Thunderbolt™ by HTC
HTC Trophy™
LG Cosmos™ 2
LG Enlighten™
Lucid™ by LG
LG Revere™
Revolution by LG
Motorola Barrage™
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Motorola Citrus™
Droid 2 by Motorola
Droid 2 Global by Motorola
Droid 4 4G by Motorola
Droid Bionic by Motorola
Droid Pro by Motorola
Droid Razr by Motorola
Droid Razr Maxx by Motorola
Droid X by Motorola
Droid X2 by Motorola
Pantech Hotshot™
Pantech Jest™ 2
Pantech Marauder™
Samsung Brightside™
Samsung Convoy™ 2
Droid Charge by Samsung
Samsung Fascinate™
Samsung Galaxy S® III
Sprint
T-Mobile
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Sanyo Inuendo
Sanyo Vero
Sanyo Milano
HTC EVO 3D
Samsung Galaxy SII 4G Touch
LG Marque
Kyocera DuraMax
Kyocera Duracore
Kyocera Brio
Samsung Trender
HTC EVO Design 4G
Samsung Transform Ultra
AT&T
US Cellular
CELLCOM
•
•
•
•
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Samsung Galaxy SII (SGH-i777)
Samsung Captivate Glide (SGH-i927)
Motorola Atrix 2 (mb865)
Samsung Character R640
BlackBerry Curve 9350
BlackBerry Torch 9850
T-Mobile myTouch
T-Mobile myTouch Q
T-Mobile Prism
LG DoublePlay
Nokia Lumia 710
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Samsung Galaxy S II
Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung Galaxy Note
Samsung t159
HTC One S
Motorola Milestone X2
Carrier
Web Site
AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon Wireless
http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB409415#fbid=EjdkPkCjI_G
US Cellular
CELLCOM
http://www.uscellular.com/uscellular/support/faq/faqDetails.jsp?topic=wireless-emergency-alerts.html#Q1
http://community.sprint.com/baw/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadBody/2811-102-1 2310/Wireless%20Emergency%20Alert%20FAQ.pdf
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/?features=a9140e65-fb7b-42f2-88e5-454b2ed235af
http://m-support.verizonwireless.com/clc/faqs/Wireless%20Service/emergency_alerts_faq.html
http://www.cellcom.com/faq_qa.html?categoryid=19#323
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For more information
Email the IPAWS inbox: IPAWS@dhs.gov
IPAWS Website:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/
EMI Independent Study Course IS-247:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is247.asp
Mailing list for IPAWS Webinar notices:
http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code
=USDHSFEMA_165
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IPAWS Program Office POCs
Antwane.Johnson@dhs.gov
Office: (202) 646-4383
Director, Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Division
Wade.Witmer@dhs.gov
Office: (202) 646-2523
Deputy Director, Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Division
Mark.Lucero@dhs.gov
Office: (202) 646-1386
Chief Engineering, Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Division
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QUESTIONS?
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Additional Info
16
How to become an IPAWS user
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Public Alert and Warning Planning Essentials
Just as with any other public safety or emergency plans… should have a public
warning program, that considers the following:
1. Your jurisdiction’s vulnerabilities – what threats may you need to warn the
public about?
2. Who is authorized to originate and manage alerts
Emergency Manager, Incident Commander,
Watch Officer, Public Information Officer, etc.
3. Identify and engage with local public communications partners; your public
warning partners – discuss capabilities and to seek advice and council
4. Develop clear and repeatable warning policies, guidelines, procedures,
training, test and exercise plans
5. Review and frequently update public warning plans and policies in
coordination with all warning partners
6. Educate the public on the importance of being informed and the use of
warning sources
7. Test and Exercise Frequently
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What do you need to do to use IPAWS?
1. You need an IPAWS-compatible software tool:
–
List of vendors developing compatible tools is on IPAWS website
2. Execute a security Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DHS/FEMA
• Formalizes approval for message exchange between your system and IPAWSOPEN system – the MOA application is on the IPAWS website
• The MOA establishes an IPAWS Collaborative Operating Group (COG)
account for your organization
• COGs may be established for State/territorial, regional, or local level
organizations
• COG owners administer their own member accounts through their software
system
Once the these steps are complete, a digital certificate is issued for installation on
your IPAWS-compatible tool that is used to digitally sign all of your messages
You now have the ability to exchange alert information only with other COGs
If your organization also seeks public alerting authority through IPAWS, an
additional application is required…
Info and forms are on FEMA
IPAWS website or via request to
IPAWS@dhs.gov
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Application for Public Alerting Authority
If your organization wants to leverage IPAWS public alerting channels,
a few additional steps are required:
3. Complete and Coordinate a Public Alerting application for the COG
organization with your State POC.
(public alerting application is available by request sent to IPAWS@dhs.gov)
The application will ask you to identify:
 the IPAWS public alerting channels to be used (EAS, WEA/CMAS, HazCollect)
 the geographic extent of alerting authority (Statewide? Multi-county? Single
county?)
 the Event Codes (from EAS/SAME) the organization is authorized to use - this
must be consistent with State and local EAS and other local Operating Plans
4. Complete EMI Independent Study Course IS-247 “Integrated Public Alert and
Warning System”
Why does FEMA need State, or other formal validation of your “alerting authority”?
– Ensures that alerting permissions are coordinated and consistent with State, Territorial,
Tribal EAS and AMBER Alert plans, or other state and local public warning plans
– Preferably your public alerting application should be routed and signed by a designated
state authority before being submitted to FEMA. IPAWS has found a designated
authority for most states. Request info for your state from IPAWS@dhs.gov.
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IPAWS Architecture (State and Local accessible components)
How IPAWS Works…
Alert Disseminators
Alerting
Authorities
(public alerting systems)
Local
Territorial
Federal*
* Includes NOAA
IPAWS compliant
CAP Alert
Origination Tools
Emergency Alert System
All Radio and TV
AM FM; Digital, Analog,
Cable, and Satellite
Alert
Aggregator/
Gateway
IPAWS
OPEN
the Message Router
(Open Platform for
Emergency Networks)
CAP messages
Tribal
Emergency
CAP messages
State
American People
Commercial Mobile Alert
Service (CMAS)
cell phones
NOAA
HazCollect
NWS
web applications,
widgets, web sites,
social media
Internet Services
IPAWS compliant
CAP Alert
Origination Tools
State / Local Unique
Alerting Systems
FM RBDS
ETN
Siren
Digital Signage
Future Technologies
21
How IPAWS Works…
CAP Message is
created by a local
public safety
official in their
alerting tool,
digitally signed and
sent to the IPAWSOPEN
2222
IPAWS-OPEN
verifies digital
signature,
validates CAP file,
and determines
where it goes
2323
Dissemination
channels connected to
or monitoring IPAWSOPEN receive alert
message from IPAWSOPEN.
Alerts
broadcast to
local
consumer
devices!
Local systems could
be configured to
monitor IPAWS as
source for local alerts
also.
2424
Information for software tool vendors:
 Three documents define CAP as it will be implemented and used in IPAWS:
– OASIS CAP Standard v1.2
– IPAWS Specification to the CAP Standard(CAP v1.2 IPAWS USA Profile v1.0)
– CAP to EAS Implementation Guide
 An IPAWS-OPEN Developers Guide is available via request to IPAWS@dhs.gov
 Monthly Webinars for System Developers - see IPAWS web page for schedule and
archives: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/working_group.shtm.
 39 Vendors have declared intent to develop IPAWS public alert posting interoperating
tools - 18 Vendors have demonstrated successful posting of a digitally signed CAP
public alert to IPAWS in the test environment:
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IPAWS
26
The Evolution of Public Emergency Alerting
1951 - 1963
1963 - 1997
CONELRAD
EBS
Originally called the “Key
Station System,” the
CONtrol of
ELectromagnetic
RADiation (CONELRAD)
was established in August
1951.
Participating stations tuned
to 640 & 1240 kHz AM and
initiated a special
sequence and procedure
designed to warn citizens.
EBS was initiated to
address the nation
through audible alerts. It
did not allow for targeted
messaging.
System upgraded in 1976
to provide for better and
more accurate handling of
alert receptions.
Originally designed to
provide the President with
an expeditious method of
communicating with the
American Public, it was
expanded for use during
peacetime at state and
local levels.
1997 - - - - - - - - present EAS
IPAWS
EAS jointly coordinated
by the FCC, FEMA and
NWS.
IPAWS modernizes and
integrates the nation’s alert
and warning infrastructure.
Designed for President to
speak to American
people within 10 minutes.
Integrates new and existing
public alert and warning
systems and technologies
thru adoption of new alert
information exchange
format - the Common
Alerting Protocol or CAP
EAS messages
composed of 4 parts:
• Digitally encoded
header
• Attention Signal
• Audio Announcement
• Digitally encoded endof-message marker
Provided for better
integration with NOAA
weather and local alert
distribution to
broadcasters
Provides authorities a
broader range of message
options and multiple
communications pathways
original timeline info borrowed from:
The Broadcast Archive by Barry Mishkind,
The Eclectic Engineer
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IPAWS Vision
“Timely Alert And Warning To American Citizens In
The Preservation of Life And Property”
Integration of public alert communications systems:
 Facilitate single emergency alert message delivery to all available
public dissemination channels
 Easier to use by public safety/alerting authorities
 Improves and Enhances emergency alerting capability in
two critical ways:
– reliability that affected citizens receive an alert via at least one path
– likelihood that citizens react to emergency alerts
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IPAWS… So what?
Why should a local or state organization go to the trouble of integrating
with IPAWS?
Local public safety systems integrated with IPAWS can leverage IPAWS to
send emergency alerts to the public in their jurisdictions through:
– local radio and TV EAS participants
– local weather radios via NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio,
AND:
– Local cellular phones via the Wireless Emergency Alert service,
– and Internet services and applications participating with IPAWS
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Emergency Alert System (EAS)
Emergency
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Emergency Alert System and IPAWS
 All EAS Participants are required to monitor IPAWS for a national EAS
emergency alert message
 FCC deadline for EAS participants to begin receiving CAP formatted alerts
from IPAWS is June 30, 2012
– Many participants have already installed updated equipment and are
monitoring the IPAWS EAS Feed
– 4 test messages (RWTs) per week are posted on the IPAWS EAS Feed
 State and Local authorities can use IPAWS to route alerts to local EAS
stations
 IPAWS should complement - but not replace - the systems you are currently
using for EAS
EAS Participants are defined by the FCC’s EAS
rules in C.F.R. 47 Part 11 and include all radio and
television broadcast, cable, satellite, and wireline
providers (e.g. Verizon FiOS or AT&T Uverse)
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How does the EAS Feed work?
Alerts sent to IPAWS-OPEN by federal, state, and local alerting authorities are
posted to the IPAWS EAS Feed hosted at the FEMA data centers
EAS Participants configure their EAS devices to monitor the IPAWS EAS Feed
− local location/FIPS codes for the participating station
− what alerts they will broadcast in accordance with local and state agreements/policies
− the IPAWS EAS Feed URL (could also monitor a state or local CAP alert server)
EAS devices poll the EAS feed for relevant active alerts fitting the stations profile
Appropriate Alerts are retrieved and broadcast in accordance with the State EAS
Plan and any agreements with local officials
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Commercial Mobile Alerting System
Wireless Emergency Alerts
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Wireless Emergency Alerts – WEA
Commercial Mobile Alert System - CMAS
56
• Wireless Carriers Online
• Includes: VZW (~108M subscribers)
AT&T (~103M subscribers
Sprint (~55M subscribers)
T-Mobile (~34M subscribers)
•Status
• 112 Wireless Carriers have “Opted-In” to CMAS
• “FCC Regulatory start” date was April 7, 2012
• Carrier network readiness and handset availability varies
• Carrier is the only source of info about network and handset status
34
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) /
Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS)
 IPAWS is the only way emergency
managers can access the Commercial
Mobile Alert System (CMAS) to send
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)
 CMAS capability is
free to alerters and
alertees – no usage
or text message
charges
 Enables authorized public safety officials to
send 90 character, geographically
targeted, emergency alerts to cellular
phones in a danger zone
 Significantly Different from SMS/email based
alerting systems
 Uses “cell broadcast” technology to avoid
network congestion
– Sends alerts to phones in an area - not to
a database of phone numbers
– For “Alerts” only…. not for notification
type messages
– Only for emergencies categorized as:
 Cellular carrier participation voluntary
– 147 carriers have opted-in
 Citizens may opt-out of receiving alerts
– New phones are delivered opted-in
– Not subscription based -- true location
based alerting
• Imminent Threat (Severity, Urgency, Certainty)
• AMBER / Child Abduction Emergency
• Presidential (*** Cannot
Opt-Out ***)
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Alerts are Broadcast!
- Very different than Subscription Services
36
Verizon – WEA broadcast if cell tower within
county
County
WEA broadcast is represented by the shaded circles.
Note: Map is not drawn to scale and is for illustrative purposes only.
AT&T – WEA broadcast if tower inside polygon
County
WEA broadcast is represented by the shaded circles.
Note: Map is not drawn to scale and is for illustrative purposes only.
Sprint – WEA broadcast if tower coverage
overlaps polygon
County
WEA broadcast is represented by the shaded circles.
Note: Map is not drawn to scale and is for illustrative purposes only.
Snapshot of WEA Compatible Phones so far…
Verizon Wireless
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BlackBerry Bold™ 9930
BlackBerry Curve™ 9310
BlackBerry Curve 9330
BlackBerry Torch™ 9850
Casio GZ One Commando®
Casio GZ One Ravine®
DROID Incredible by HTC
DROID Incredible 4G LTE by HTC
HTC Rhyme™
Thunderbolt™ by HTC
HTC Trophy™
LG Cosmos™ 2
LG Enlighten™
Lucid™ by LG
LG Revere™
Revolution by LG
Motorola Barrage™
•
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•
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•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Motorola Citrus™
Droid 2 by Motorola
Droid 2 Global by Motorola
Droid 4 4G by Motorola
Droid Bionic by Motorola
Droid Pro by Motorola
Droid Razr by Motorola
Droid Razr Maxx by Motorola
Droid X by Motorola
Droid X2 by Motorola
Pantech Hotshot™
Pantech Jest™ 2
Pantech Marauder™
Samsung Brightside™
Samsung Convoy™ 2
Droid Charge by Samsung
Samsung Fascinate™
Samsung Galaxy S® III
Sprint
T-Mobile
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•
•
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Sanyo Inuendo
Sanyo Vero
Sanyo Milano
HTC EVO 3D
Samsung Galaxy SII 4G Touch
LG Marque
Kyocera DuraMax
Kyocera Duracore
Kyocera Brio
Samsung Trender
HTC EVO Design 4G
Samsung Transform Ultra
AT&T
US Cellular
CELLCOM
•
•
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Samsung Galaxy SII (SGH-i777)
Samsung Captivate Glide (SGH-i927)
Motorola Atrix 2 (mb865)
Samsung Character R640
BlackBerry Curve 9350
BlackBerry Torch 9850
T-Mobile myTouch
T-Mobile myTouch Q
T-Mobile Prism
LG DoublePlay
Nokia Lumia 710
Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G
Samsung Galaxy S II
Samsung Galaxy S III
Samsung Galaxy Note
Samsung t159
HTC One S
Motorola Milestone X2
Carrier
Web Site
AT&T
Sprint
T-Mobile
Verizon Wireless
http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB409415#fbid=EjdkPkCjI_G
US Cellular
CELLCOM
http://www.uscellular.com/uscellular/support/faq/faqDetails.jsp?topic=wireless-emergency-alerts.html#Q1
http://community.sprint.com/baw/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadBody/2811-102-1 2310/Wireless%20Emergency%20Alert%20FAQ.pdf
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/?features=a9140e65-fb7b-42f2-88e5-454b2ed235af
http://m-support.verizonwireless.com/clc/faqs/Wireless%20Service/emergency_alerts_faq.html
http://www.cellcom.com/faq_qa.html?categoryid=19#323
4040
NOAA Integration
41
NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio
The National Weather Service (NWS) All-Hazards Emergency Message Collection
System, or HazCollect, can be accessed through IPAWS
HazCollect enables emergency alert messages from local alerting authorities to be
broadcast over local NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio transmitters
Permission to access Hazcollect must be coordinated and approved through the
NWS in coordination with your local Weather Forecast Office
− additional info at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/hazcollect/
HazCollect interface between FEMA IPAWS and NOAA has been in place since 2010
42
NOAA’s use of IPAWS
 National Weather Service began sending WEA messages in June, 2012
1,954
235,000
• Weather alerts that met CMAS Criteria and were
delivered thru cellular networks to WEA ready cell
phones
• Number of CAP messages from the National Weather
Service processed by IPAWS between June 1 and
October 22, 2012
 NWS weather alerts are not being posted on the IPAWS EAS Feed, yet.
 Further testing and development to ensure that weather alerts via the IPAWS EAS Feed do
not create duplicate broadcasts by EAS equipment at radio and TV stations is on-going
 NWS weather alerts via traditional means are not impacted
and will continue even after NWS messages begin
posting to the IPAWS EAS Feed .
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Internet Services
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Internet Services / Applications
Internet web services and applications that choose may request access to monitor
and retrieve public alerts in CAP format from IPAWS
− IPAWS Public Alerts Feed is on-line as of September 2012
Services then post or distribute emergency alerts information
− e.g. Google.org Public Alerts web page publishes active alerts retrieved from NOAA and
the USGS at www.google.org/publicalerts
Weather Channel
App Developers
Social Media,
AOL, etc….
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FEMA IPAWS Language in Federal Grant Programs
Funding from the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and/or Tribal
Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP) may be used to enhance existing or
establish new alert and warning programs
Organizations seeking grants are encouraged to contact FEMA Grants Office and
IPAWS Office prior to initiating program activities
– program guidance, tools, resources and updates are available
– contact IPAWS Office at ipaws@dhs.gov
Grants can be used for planning and equipment purchases
– Planning: development or enhancement of public alert and warning plans, interoperability
governing bodies, development or enhancement of alert and warning assessments and
inventories, development or enhancement of alert and warning protocols, planning for
emerging technologies
– Equipment: design, construction , implementation, enhancement, replacement, and
maintenance of emergency response communications systems and equipment, planning
procurement and deployment of emerging technology systems
Remember, FEMA grant business is done through the State--counties, locals, private entities, etc. must go through/coordinate
with the State to obtain grant funds
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Flawed Delivery?
Why Alert Notification Systems Sometimes Fall Short
 Telephone alerting systems’ main problems can be broken down into two general, yet contradictory,
categories:
– In some situations, officials did not have residents’ telephone number, making calls impossible
– In other cases, something went wrong with the local automated notification system and calls
weren’t delivered, perhaps because local circuit failures can occur during heavy call volume
 There are over 331 million wireless telephone subscribers in the US; this is in stark contrast to the
number of phone lines in the US, which dropped from 162.7 million in 2008 to 145.8 million in 2011
 Throughout the country, cities and counties use public awareness and incentive programs to
encourage the public to subscribe to alerts
– In two small counties in Colorado, subscription based alerting was just over 2%; in larger
Colorado counties, the subscription rates are not much better
– Even in New York City, alert subscription rates are at 12%
 CMAS doesn’t send WEA messages through a one-to-one connection as land line and cellphone
calls do. Instead, the carriers broadcast the message and the message is picked up by WEAenabled mobile devices in the area.
 CMAS/WEA is just one component of IPAWS – and even as IPAWS grows, it will not replace
existing state and local alerting initiatives, but rather enhance them.
By Rick Wimberly, Emergency Management Magazine, September/October 2012
http://www.emergencymgmt.com/
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Additional IPAWS Information Resources:
Developed for State/Local public safety and EAS Participants to use for EAS test
preparation, information, and education activities
– State Toolkit for IPAWS Adoption
• Information to assist state, county and local
government officials in adopting,
incorporating and using the Common
Alerting Protocol (CAP) and IPAWS
– EAS Best Practices Guide:
• Technical and procedural info on how to
configure EAS equipment, industry best
practices, history and info on how to use
EAS
– EAS Test Informational Toolkit:
• General EAS and Nationwide EAS Test
Information, recommended practical
approaches for EAS public awareness
campaigns, tools for customization of EAS
for State and local government
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Executive Order 13407 - Public Alert and Warning System
 “It is the policy of the United States to have an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and
comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people in situations of war, terrorist attack,
natural disaster, or other hazards to public safety and well-being (public alert and warning system),
taking appropriate account of the functions, capabilities, and needs of the private sector and of all
levels of government in our Federal system, and to ensure that under all conditions the President can
communicate with the American people.”
To implement the policy, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall:
[summarized]
I.
Inventory, evaluate, and assess …public alert and warning resources;
II.
Establish or adopt, … common alerting and warning protocols, standards, terminology, and
operating procedures … to enable interoperability and the secure delivery of coordinated messages
to the American people through as many communication pathways as practicable,
VI.
Ensure the conduct of training, tests, and exercises for the public alert and warning system;
VII. Ensure the conduct of public education efforts
VIII. Consult, coordinate, and cooperate with the private sector,
IX.
Administer the Emergency Alert System (EAS) as a critical component of the public alert and
warning system; and
X.
Ensure that under all conditions the President of the United States can alert and warn the American
people.
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