Integrated Public Alert & Warning System

An Introduction to IPAWS

FEMA

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Message from the Director

In times of crisis, mitigation actions can enhance the resilience of our communities before disasters

occur. Timely and effective emergency alert and warning messages can add to that resilience by

providing information that citizens can use to make informed decisions and take action to save lives and

reduce property losses, effectively reducing the impact of disaster. Effective alerts and warnings can

help prevent hazards from becoming disasters.

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is a national alert and warning infrastructure

available for use by local, state, territorial, tribal, and Federal public alerting authorities to send

emergency alerts to citizens. The IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) works to provide non‐

Federal alerting authorities with the capabilities and resiliency that IPAWS offers and has produced this

document to provide an introduction to the system.

Local, state, territorial, tribal, and Federal authorities may choose to use IPAWS and may also integrate

local alerting or emergency response systems that use Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standards with

the IPAWS infrastructure. IPAWS provides public safety officials an integrated gateway to send alert and

warning messages to the public using the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alerts

(WEA), NOAA Weather Radio (NWR), and other public alerting systems, all from a single interface.

FEMA encourages public safety officials to take full advantage of IPAWS capabilities. For more

information, visit the IPAWS website at www.fema.gov/ipaws. Please contact the IPAWS PMO at

ipaws@fema.dhs.gov if you have questions or are interested in learning more about resources and

public education products you can leverage.

Sincerely,

Antwane Johnson, Director

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Division

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IPAWS Vision, Mission, and Goals

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Modernization Act of 2015 (Public Law 114‐

143) directed FEMA to “modernize the integrated U.S. public alert and warning system to help ensure

that under all conditions the President, federal agencies, and state, tribal, and local governments can

alert and warn the civilian population in areas endangered by natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and

other man‐made disasters or threats to public safety”. More specifically, the act directed FEMA to:(1)

establish common alerting and warning protocols, standards, terminology, and operating procedures for

the system; (2) include in such system the capability to adapt the distribution and content of

communications on the basis of geographic location, risks, and multiple communication technologies,

and to alert, warn, and provide equivalent information to individuals with disabilities, access and

functional needs, or limited English proficiency; (3) ensure that specified training, tests, and exercises for

such system are conducted and that the system is resilient, secure, and can withstand external attacks;

and (4) conduct public education efforts and a general market awareness campaign about the system.

The Modernization Act of 2015 is public law and reinforces Executive Order 13407 (EO 13407), “Public

Alert and Warning System,” which was signed by the President in 2006. EO 13407 states, “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 . . . establish or adopt, as appropriate, common alerting and

warning protocols, standards, terminology, and operating procedures for the public alert and warning

system to enable interoperability and the secure delivery of coordinated messages to the American

people through as many communication pathways as practicable . . .” In response, FEMA established the

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Management Office (PMO) in 2007.

Vision:

Mission:

Timely alert and warning to the public in the preservation of life

and property.

Provide integrated services and capabilities to Federal, state, territorial, tribal,

and local authorities that enable them to alert and warn their respective

communities via multiple communications methods.

Strategic Goals:

Goal 1 – Create and maintain an integrated interoperable environment for alert and warning

Goal 2 – Make alert and warning more effective

Goal 3 – Strengthen the resilience of IPAWS infrastructure

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IPAWS Capabilities

The IPAWS is a national system for local alerting and enables authorities at all levels of government to alert and warn people in areas endangered by disasters. IPAWS is used by Federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local authorities to send emergency alerts. Depending on state policies, local alerting authorities can include, but are not limited to, emergency management agencies, fire and police, military bases, colleges and universities, airports, nuclear power plants, hospitals, and Federal agencies. The IPAWS includes two primary components, the IPAWS-OPEN Platform for EmergencyNetworks (IPAWS-OPEN) and the National Public Warning System (NPWS). IPAWS-OPEN is the alert aggregator/ gateway that routes authenticated alert messages to Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), Emergency Alert System (EAS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Weather Radio, and the All- Hazards Information Feed simultaneously. The NPWS is for activation and control of the EAS that provides the President, under all conditions, access to all TV and radio stations for national emergency warnings.

Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial alerting authorities can use IPAWS and integrate local systems that use Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standards with the IPAWS infrastructure. By making unique alerting services CAP-compliant and integrating them with IPAWS, alerting authorities will be able to send a single alert from or to their unique system through IPAWS that will reach radio, television, wireless phones and other mobile devices, internet services, and all future CAP-compliant IPAWS connected technologies. Utilizing multiple pathways for public alerts increases the likelihood that the message will successfully reach the public. In addition, using a single CAP alert message reduces the amount of time required to prepare separate system- specific alerts, thus, speeding the delivery of critical, lifesaving information.

Use of the CAP standard enables industry partners to develop content and/or devices that can be used by individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs to receive emergency alerts. CAP alerts can transport rich multi-media attachments and links in alert messages. The IPAWS PMO participates in operational testing and evaluation of products and is continually working toward integrating additional technologies and encouraging industry or private sector innovation to meet the needs of the whole community.

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Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) WEAs are short emergency messages from authorized public alerting

authorities that can be broadcast to any WEA‐enabled mobile device

in a locally targeted area. The WEA pathway of IPAWS can be used for

five alert categories: Presidential, AMBER, Imminent Threat, Public

Safety, and WEA test. WEA messages are broadcast from cell towers

in the designated alert area to any WEA capable mobile devices. Wireless providers primarily

use cell broadcast technology for WEA message delivery. WEA is a partnership between FEMA, the

Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and wireless carriers, to enhance public safety. The

overarching rules for WEA are published by the FCC in 47 CFR Part 10.

Unique Ring Tone & Vibration: WEAs automatically display on

the mobile device screen and are between 90 and 360 characters. WEAs use a unique ring tone

and vibration, designed to draw attention and alert people to an emergency. The unique

vibration, which distinguishes the alert from a regular text message, is particularly helpful to

people with low vision and/or hearing disabilities.

Geo‐targeted alerts: WEAs are targeted to the specific geographic area of the emergency. If a

WEA‐capable mobile device is physically located in that area, it will automatically receive and

display the message.

Non‐subscription based: WEAs are not subscription based, so customers of participating

wireless providers with WEA‐capable phones do not sign up to receive the alerts. Instead, they

automatically receive WEAs if a WEA is active in the area in which they are located. Wireless

customers are not charged for the delivery of WEA messages.

Avoid congestion: WEAs use SMS‐Cell Broadcast (SMS‐ CB), a one‐to‐many service, which

simultaneously delivers messages to multiple recipients in a specified area. By using SMS‐CB as

the delivery service technology, WEAs avoid congestion issues experienced by traditional voice

and text messaging (SMS‐PP) alerting services, which translates into faster and more

comprehensive delivery of messages during times of emergency.

Improvements: In 2016 the FCC published new rules that will improve WEA capabilities. These

enhancements were motivated by public comments from alerting authorities and interested

stakeholders.

• Support URLs and phone numbers

• Increase message length from 90 to 360 characters

• Add new alert categories: Public Safety Message,

Test Message

• Support Spanish language

• Improve geo‐targeting to reach 100% of the alert

area with no more than 0.1 mile overshoot

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All major U.S. wireless providers are participating in WEA on a voluntary basis. Wireless providers

are currently selling mobile devices with WEA capability included; however, not all handsets

currently on the market are capable of receiving WEAs. To find out if your mobile device is capable

of receiving WEAs, check with your wireless provider.

Emergency Alert System (EAS) EAS is used by alerting authorities to send detailed warnings via

broadcast, cable, satellite, and wireline radio and television

channels. EAS participants of radio and TV providers nationwide are

the stewards of this important public service in close partnership

with alerting officials at all levels of government. The EAS is included

as a component of the IPAWS for integrated multi‐pathway alert

and warning. In many cases, radio and TV stations continue to operate when other means of alerting

the public are unavailable, providing a layer of resiliency to the suite of available emergency

communication tools. The EAS is in a constant state of improvement to assure seamless integration of

CAP‐based emerging technologies. FEMA, with support of the Federal Communications Commission

(FCC), is responsible for implementation, maintenance, and operation of the EAS at the Federal level.

EAS Modernization: The modernization of the EAS began with FEMA’s adoption of a new digital

standard for distribution of alert messages to EAS participants. IPAWS delivers alert and warning info to

EAS stations in the same CAP standard as all other IPAWS components. EAS participants must monitor

IPAWS in addition to other emergency information sources that may be detailed in each state’s EAS

Plan. The addition of CAP distribution for EAS provides

enhanced alerting capabilities and makes the EAS

more resilient.

EAS participants connect to IPAWS via the EAS CAP

feed. The EAS CAP feed is polled by equipment at

radio and TV stations for alerts applicable to their

listening/viewing area. If you intend to use the IPAWS

EAS Feed to communicate alerts to EAS stations in

your area, the IPAWS PMO recommends that you

coordinate with local stations to understand their procedures for broadcasting alerts. The IPAWS PMO

published an “Emergency Alert System Best Practices Guide”, available on the IPAWS website

(www.fema.gov/ipaws), which provides some general EAS information and guidelines for EAS planning

and operations.

NOAA HazCollect The National Weather Service (NWS) is an important partner to emergency managers and FEMA in

managing disasters and providing accurate and timely alerts and warnings to people about severe

weather, and non‐weather emergencies and disasters. FEMA is working with the

NWS to re‐integrate NOAA’s public alerting dissemination systems, particularly

to support the broadcast of non‐weather emergency messages originated by

state and local alerting authorities via IPAWS over NOAA’s expansive NOAA

Weather Radio network. Please check the FEMA IPAWS website for updated

information on the integration between FEMA’s IPAWS and NOAA’s Weather

Radio network.

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Internet Capabilities Internet web services and applications may complete a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

with IPAWS allowing them to access, monitor, and retrieve public alerts in CAP format from an

IPAWS Public Alerts Feed that can be

monitored over an internet

connection. Organizations and the

general public may then subscribe

to the third-party internet web

services and applications to receive

public alerts that have been issued

through IPAWS by any IPAWS

alerting authority. Internet

connected devices such as

electronic message boards and

smart home systems can also pull

from the IPAWS All Hazards Information Feed.

Unique State and Local Alert Systems In addition to distributing alerts and warnings through EAS, WEA, NWR, and Internet-Based Services; existing alert systems, such as sirens, giant voice speakers, and wall beacons, can also be activated via IPAWS. While current tactics are integral to the alerting ecosystem’s infrastructure, emerging tactics are redefining emergency alerting and how originators share information with their communities. Incorporation of newer tactics into IPAWS could address shortcomings of current tactics.

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Success Stories: IPAWS in Action

On July 1, 2013, five counselors and 29 children in East Windsor, Connecticut, were in the Sports World complex soccer dome having fun at summer camp. Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the manager received a WEA from the National Weather Service stating that a tornado warning had been issued for the area until 2:00 p.m. The manager immediately evacuated everyone into an adjoining building, and within about two minutes of the alert, a category EF‐1 tornado hit the dome and sent it flying into the air. Due to the manager’s quick and correct response to the WEA alert, no one at the summer camp was injured. This is one of the first documented examples of the life‐saving alerts distributed through IPAWS WEA. The IPAWS PMO is working hard with our alerting partners to continue to ensure that the public has timely information to allow them to take the necessary actions to ensure their safety and minimize damage to property. There are 34 people in East Windsor, Connecticut, who are living proof.

Since the implementation of the program there have been several stories that demonstrate how and

when state and local public safety officials have used WEAs to communicate with their communities in

times of disaster for the purpose of saving lives and protecting property. Additional stories can be found

at www.fema.gov/ipaws.

HURRICANE IRMA Residents flocked to previously water covered areas to

experience the eerie phenomenon. The NWS of Miami

sent a WEA to issue a flash flood emergency

message tailored specifically to storm surge. The alert for

Southwestern Collier County demanded that residents

“evacuate vertically NOW!” and prompted action. The tidal

gauge in Naples fell six feet between sunrise and 2

p.m. Sunday. Within one hour, the water climbed five and

a half feet (approximately one inch per minute) and continued to rise. 1

BOMBING SUSPECT New York City’s emergency management agency sent a WEA as an

electronic wanted poster to identify the suspect in connection

with bombings in Manhattan and New Jersey. The suspect was

captured within hours. This was the first widespread attempt to

transform the citizens of a major American city into a vigilant eye

for authorities. “This is a tool we will use again in the future…This

is a modern approach that really engaged a whole community,”

said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. 2

1 Cappucci, M. (2017). Hurricane Irma drained the water from Florida’s largest bays – but it wasn’t gone for long. Retrieved from

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital‐weather‐gang/wp/2017/09/11/hurricane‐irma‐drained‐the‐water‐from‐floridas‐largest‐bays‐ but‐it‐wasnt‐gone‐for‐long/?utm_term=.e27684dec711 2 New York Times (2016). Cellphone Alerts Used in New York to Search for Bombing Suspect. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/nyregion/cellphone‐alerts‐used‐in‐search‐of‐manhattan‐bombing‐suspect.html?ref=technology&_r=1

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CHEMICAL SPILL A chemical leak stemming from a broken valve during the transfer of chlorosulfonic acid created a large

plume of toxic white smoke over surrounding areas. The Baltimore Emergency Management Office

(BEMO) issued a precautionary shelter in place WEA due to the chemical leak. Once the hazmat incident

was under control and ruled safe by local authorities, BEMO issued an all clear alert, lifting the shelter in

place. 1

MISSING PERSON A 73‐year‐old man with health issues who had not taken his

medication for two days was reported missing by family in

Mandan, North Dakota. North Dakota Department of

Emergency Services, Division of Homeland Security sent a Civil

Emergency Message to wireless phones alerting the public of

his disappearance. A second message was released cancelling

the alert. The man was found safe in a neighboring city

approximately eight miles away. 2

WILDFIRES

During the Southern California wildfires of 2017, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

alerted seven counties to stay alert and listen to authorities during periods of strong winds. Winds did in

fact spread the fire, at times at a rate of over an acre a second. The wildfires burned over 307,900 acres

and forced over 230,000 people to evacuate. Only one civilian death was recorded, likely due in part to

advance notification. 3

TORNADOES In 2016 a tornado warning went off during a wedding reception in Sidney,

Ohio. “Suddenly phones from family members from New York, New Jersey,

South Carolina, and even Canada, all started buzzing,” said the groom. The

groom, an emergency management specialist, advised the crowd to gather

in the stairwell. “Witnessing the various emergency notification applications

in place certainly made it a life lesson to always be prepared.” 3 “When we

were driving thru Georgia, almost to Adairsville, I received an EXTREME

ALERT message on my cell phone, warning of a tornado in my area. Is this

[WEA] something that is on all cell phones? I was amazed and happy for the

warning. We continued driving, but were certainly watching the skies. We

were actually on Interstate 75 as the tornado crossed right in front of us. All

of the vehicles came to a stop as we watched. We had to weave thru the

debris in order to find our way to the next exit. Thankfully we were stopped and not caught up in the

tornado…billboard signs and huge trees were destroyed! It was quite a site!” 4

1 Burnett, A. (2017). Curtis Bay Area Residents Shelter In Place for 2 Hours After Acid Spill. Retrieved from http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/09/18/curtis‐bay‐hazmat/ 2 Bauer, P. (2018). Missing man found safe in Bismarck. Retrieved from https://www.wday.com/news/crime‐and‐courts/4435281‐update‐ missing‐man‐found‐safe‐bismarck 3 Reed, S. (2016). Wedding almost a disaster – literally. Retrieved from http://sidneydailynews.com/opinion/editorials/43905/wedding‐almost‐ a‐disaster‐literally 4 New Yorker, traveling through Adairsville, Georgia, January 30, 2013

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“We [National Weather Service] put out the early warning, people got notice and knew what to do when

a tornado approaches. The damage was bad, but we’re happy that no one got hurt, so that’s a success

story we feel pretty good about. The more ways we can get the information out, the better the chance

people have to be warned.” 1

“Your warning of a tornado imminent in my area of New York, sent 7/26/12 via text message to my cell,

was invaluable! From the bottom of my heart‐ THANK YOU National Weather Service!” 2

“While I am pretty calm in the face of severe weather…keeping The Weather Channel on tends to make

my four year old paranoid. So instead of watching the weather, we hung out in the play room…from the

other side of the house, I heard an unusual ringing. It sounded like an emergency alert ring, but I was

sure the TV was off… I headed off to investigate. The TV was off. Could that sound have come from my

phone? It sure did. My Samsung Galaxy S III sent me a text alert [WEA] letting me know there was severe

weather in my area. But this was no ordinary text message, the notification came with a special forced

tone alert that overrode my volume setting. How smart is that?! When I turned on my phone I found a

message from the National Weather Service alerting me to a tornado warning in the area. I turned on

the TV, and sure enough a tornado warning had just been issued. Now that’s the way technology should

work!” 3

AMBER ALERTS On September 5, 2013 in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, a

man at a fishing pond spotted the vehicle that had

been plastered in AMBER alerts all over broadcast

media, WEAs, Facebook, asking the public to look for a

child taken by his father. The man crawled through tall

weeds to confirm the license plate and then called the

police. The father and two‐year‐old son were asleep

inside the vehicle. “I said, wait a minute, that’s an

AMBER alert. I got it from FOX 23, all you guys from

the news; it hit my Facebook, and my [WEA] phone. I didn’t think none of it; just keep an eye out and

next thing I know, I’m fishing the next morning and here we are...” 4 This was the very first case of a

child being recovered due to the use of a WEA.

On March 16, 2018 in Memphis, Tennessee, a 10-month-old child was sitting in a vehicle when it was

stolen. Law enforcement activated an AMBER Alert, which included a notice sent to cell phones via a

Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) message. A citizen who received the WEA message spotted the vehicle

and called 911. Law enforcement responded and the child was found safely inside. A short time later,

the suspect was arrested.5

1 Local New York NWS Spokesman, Star Gazette, August 1, 2012 2 Citizen Post of Facebook, FCC Blog, August 30, 2012 3 The Suburban Mom (2012). Technology That Keeps Us Safe: Wireless Emergency Alerts. Retrieved from https://www.thesuburbanmom.com/2012/08/31/technology‐that‐keeps‐us‐safe‐wireless‐emergency‐alerts/ 4 Fullbright, L. (2013). Sperry Man Describes Finding Toddler in Tulsa Amber Alert. Retrieved from http://wnow.worldnow.com/story/23346951/sperry‐man‐describes‐finding‐toddler‐in‐tulsa‐amber‐alert 5 Mickens, C. (2018). Zoe Jordan found safe, ‘person of interest’ released without charges. Retrieved from https://www.fox13memphis.com/top-stories/latest-zoe-jordan-found-safe-person-of-interest-released-without-charges/717446576

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On May 14, 2019 in Kentwood, Michigan, a 4-year-old child was taken by her mother, who had made

threats against her own life and the life of the child. Based on this endangerment, law enforcement

issued an AMBER Alert, including a broadcast to cell phones via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). A

citizen received the WEA message and spotted the abductor’s vehicle in the park. They called 911 and

law enforcement safely located the mother and child nearby where both were taken safely into

custody. 1

On July 10,2019 in Paso Robles, California, a 1-year-old

child was abducted by his non-custodial mother during a

supervised visit. The abductor used a weapon during the

abduction and the child was believed to be in imminent

danger, leading law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert.

The AMBER Alert included the use of Wireless Emergency

Alert (WEA) cell phone messages. The WEA message was

received simultaneously by law enforcement and citizens

who spotted the vehicle. The WEA message also included a

URL which pointed to images from the AMBER Alert,

leading to the abductor being recognized when he tried to

hire a vehicle from an app. The abductor and associate

were arrested, and the child was safely rescued. 2

1 Brenzing, B. (2019). Missing Kentwood girl found safe. Retrieved from https://fox17online.com/2019/05/14/amber-alert-issued-for-kentwood-girl/ 2 City News Service (2016). Boy, Mom Suspected of Abducting Him Found in Calabasas. Retrieved from https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Amber-Alert-Issued-for-Missing-Toddler-in-San-Luis-Obispo-County-512546431.html

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Consider Becoming an Authorized IPAWS Alerting Authority

Any qualifying public safety organization recognized by appropriate local, state, territorial, tribal, or

Federal authorities may apply for authorization to use IPAWS to send alerts to the public. Public safety

organizations may apply to use IPAWS to exchange alert information with other IPAWS users with CAP

compatible origination software. Each organization that successfully applies to be an IPAWS user is

designated as a Collaborative Operating Group or “COG”. When the steps below have been successfully

completed the COG will be granted authority to send alerts to the public through IPAWS. Prior to

completing the steps below, be sure to contact your state’s Office of Emergency Management to

ensure their policies permit your organization to act as an alerting authority; every state is different.

Step #1 – Complete IPAWS web‐based training FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers the independent study course, IS-247.b Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. The goal of the course is to provide authorized public safety officials with:

• Increased awareness of the benefits of using IPAWS for effective public warnings• Skills to draft appropriate, effective, and accessible warning messages• Best practices in the effective use of Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) to reach all

members of their communities

The course should take approximately two hours to complete and is a prerequisite for full access to IPAWS-OPEN for the purpose of public alerting. FEMA does not provide training on third-party alert authoring software. Contact your vendor for any software support questions.

Once training is completed, submit the training certificates to IPAWS.

Step #2 – Select an IPAWS‐compatible Alert Origination Software Access to IPAWS is free; however, to send a message using IPAWS, an organization must procure its

own IPAWS‐ compatible alert origination software. The applying organization should consult private

sector developers to ensure the alert origination software is compatible and has been successfully

tested in the IPAWS‐OPEN test environment. A list of software providers that have successfully

demonstrated IPAWS capabilities can be found at www.fema.gov/ipaws, or you can request the list

by emailing ipaws@fema.dhs.gov. When selecting an alert and warning origination software, keep in

mind the following questions that may help guide the discussion with vendors and ensure the

software is the best fit for your needs in using IPAWS.

• Who will be sending alerts in your organization?

• What types of alerts do you intend to send?• Do you require the use of message templates?

• Do you require alerting software that is integrated into a mass notification system or a stand‐alone capability?

• What security mechanisms are provided to ensure strong access controls and

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authentication of users? • What support will be necessary in the future? • What support and services are provided by the software provider? (e.g. license and

maintenance fees, updates to the software, helpdesk, 24/7 support, etc.) • How much training is provided by the vendor? Do they include refresher training or

additional training sessions for new hires?

There are numerous features available in alert origination software. When you are acquiring alert

origination software, make sure it has the features that meet your minimum requirements as an alerting

authority and prospective buyer. Some recommended features are listed below.

1. WEA‐compatible

2. EAS‐compatible

3. HazCollect ‐ compatible

4. Channel Block

5. One alert, multiple pathways

6. Update and cancel

7. Preview

8. Mapping – polygon

9. Supporting the Live and IPAWS Lab Cloud environments

10. Supports audio attachments

Seeing that technologies are constantly evolving, feel free to reach out to IPAWS vendors or the IPAWS

Lab for a tool demonstration.

Step #3 – Apply for a MOA with FEMA To become a COG, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) must be executed between the sponsoring organization and FEMA. The MOA governs interoperability and security across emergency response organizations and systems. Each MOA is tailored to the sponsoring organization and their interoperable software system. To apply for IPAWS access, please send an email to IPAWS@fema.dhs.gov, with the subject line "COG Application." We will then provide you with an application form and instructions to begin the process. (Additionally, you can access the MOA Application at www.fema.gov/ipaws on the Informational Materials webpage.) Once the complete MOA Application has been received by IPAWS, the Customer Support Branch will prepare the MOA for signature and return it to the sponsoring organization with a COG Identification (ID) number. After being signed by the applicant, the MOA will be routed for FEMA signatures.

Step #4 – Apply for public alerting permissions Alerting authorities that want to send alerts to the public through IPAWS must complete an application defining the dissemination pathways they wish to use, the types of alerts they intend to issue, and the extent of their geographic warning area. The application for IPAWS public alerting authority will be provided when you apply for a COG MOA, along with contact information for a designated state reviewer. In order to ensure consistency with state and tribal public alerting plans, the application must be reviewed and signed by a designated state official or tribal leadership before it is submitted to FEMA.

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What to expect After copy of the executed MOA will be returned to the sponsoring organization along with a digital certificate that is needed to configure the IPAWS compatible software system. By completing steps 1 through 3, the organization will have the capability to exchange standards-compliant messages and content between COGs.

Once the public alerting application is received specific alerting permissions will be implemented in IPAWS-OPEN. At that point the individual members specified by the COG will be able to send alerts and warnings in the geographically prescribed areas.

Initial functionality includes the ability to access and send alerts through:

• Emergency Alert System (EAS)

• National Weather Service (NWS) All-Hazards Emergency Message Collection System for NWS-approved alerting authorities

• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), depending on local implementation by commercial mobile service providers

• IPAWS All-Hazards Information Feed (Internet services)

See the IPAWS Alerting Authorities web page at www.fema.gov/ipaws for a list of organizations with public alerting authority completed.

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Additional Resources

Join IPAWS Webinars for Alerting Authorities The IPAWS PMO holds regular webinars on the latest topics in IPAWS development and solicits alerting

authorities to ask questions directly to guest presenters from the IPAWS PMO and private sector.

To receive email updates with the dates and times for future IPAWS webinars, or to view past webinars, visit: www.fema.gov/ipaws.

Connect with IPAWS PMO leadership and subject matter experts at conferences and events IPAWS PMO leadership and subject matter experts speak at and participate in numerous industry, professional associations, and government conferences and events, in addition to hosting focused working groups, webinars, and roundtables. At conferences, IPAWS PMO staff demonstrate alert origination and dissemination technologies and takes questions from alerting authorities, private sector developers, and the general public. To invite IPAWS to present at future events, or to see if we’re attending a particular event, please contact the PMO at ipaws@fema.dhs.gov

Explore funding opportunities Funding from FEMA’s Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP), and Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) may be used to purchase, maintain, and sustain equipment to implement IPAWS and build capability to enhance your alert and warning capabilities. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) manages SAFECOM, emergency communications grants that may be used for IPAWS. Grants can be used for a range of preparedness activities including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and management and administration across all mission areas. FEMA does its business with the state; FEMA encourages local organizations to coordinate through their State Administrative Agency regarding FEMA grants. As sovereign governments, FEMA Grants Office can work directly with tribes regarding tribal grants. Prior to initiating program activities FEMA IPAWS can work directly with a point of contact to provide guidance on IPAWS compatible tools and testing resources through the IPAWS Lab.

Access resources to help public safety officials understand, adopt, and use IPAWS ‐‐ and educate the public about how to access, use, and respond to information in public alerts and warnings The IPAWS PMO develops resources for public safety officials that are designed to encourage, assist, and enable partners to incorporate IPAWS into governance structures, strategies, policies, business models, and standard operating procedures. Additionally, there are several resources available to help public safety officials ensure the public understands the functions of IPAWS and how to respond to alerts and warnings from public safety officials, such as downloadable videos and training materials available for your use on www.fema.gov/ipaws.

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Ready.gov provides up‐ to‐date information about how to prepare for emergencies. The www.ready.gov/alerts webpage provides information on WEAs, EAS, and NOAA’s Weather Radio, in addition to access to the WEA PSAs and other helpful information about emergency alerts for the public.

FEMA encourages public safety officials to take full advantage of all these products. Please contact the IPAWS PMO at ipaws@fema.dhs.gov if you require assistance incorporating these or other products into your state and local public education campaigns.

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