Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA)

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)Who are the players? What is your rolE?1Integrated Public alert and warning system

Keep in mind, this will take 5 1/2 minutes. Optional slide.2Evolution of Emergency Alerting

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.IPAWS modernizes and integrates the nations alert and warning infrastructure. Integrates new and existing public alert and warning systems and technologies Provides authorities a broader range of message options and multiple communications pathways Increases capability to alert and warn communities of all hazards impacting public safety.

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.EAS jointly coordinated by the FCC, FEMA and NWS.Designed for President to speak to American people within 10 minutes.EAS messages composed of 4 parts:Digitally encoded headerAttention SignalAudio AnnouncementDigitally encoded end-of-message markerCONELRADEBSEASIPAWS1951 - 19631963 - 19971997 - 20062006

3What is Ipaws?IPAWS: Integrated Public Alert Warning System, is a comprehensive,coordinated, integrated system that can be used by authorized public officials to deliver effective alert messages to the American public.

IPAWS is the nations next generation infrastructure of alert and warning networks. IPAWS ensures the President can alert & warn the public under any condition. IPAWS will also allow Federal, State, territorial & local warning authorities the capabilities to alert & warn their communities. IPAWS is an all hazards warning system.Hidden slide, will not be displayed, but kept in for historical reference and information.4What is the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)?IPAWS will take the existing Emergency Alert System (EAS) and add new ways to warn people of imminent threats.The public will receive alerts via Cell phones- Radio Email- Residential telephone Television- others TBD

The mission is to ensure the President can communicate with State, Local, and Tribal governments and the public in times of war or national emergency.IPAWS capabilities will also be available to emergency managers5Hidden slide, will not be displayed, but kept in for historical reference and information.

IPAWS ArchitectureOne message will reach the public through every available communication path A message can originate at the Federal, State, or Local level The message will go to the IPAWS aggregatorservers that will gather the messages and authenticate them, thenThe message will go through multiple distribution paths to reach every available communications deviceIPAWS is developing standards and protocols to increase interoperability among alert and warning systems 6Hidden slide, will not be displayed, but kept in for historical reference and information.

Slide 4-6 is narrative and covered by slide 77Washington State Example Mystate USA

Consider dropping question for the panel does this slide add value or create confusion (reference the previous slide)8Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

9WEA: Wireless Emergency Alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) is the industry branding name of the new Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS)CMAS required by Federal Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act, passed in 2006WEA alert types: Presidential, imminent threat to life and property, AMBER alertsWEAs are free messages / warnings alerts sent directly to your cell phone. WEAs are only 90 characters in length. WEAs will be sent by Federal, State, Local Government, NWS, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (*AMBER Alerts) WEAs are geographically targeted. If you are in an area under an alert AND you have a WEA capable device, you should receive the alert regardless of your cell phones area code.

10Current Challenges/where we are atState Emergency Communications Committee will address WEA in addition to EASChallenges:Plans, policies, procedures for the use of WEA must be developed at the federal, state, and local levels and integrated vertically. Technical issues with the IPAWS OPEN aggregator, the wireless carriers and the phone manufacturers need to be resolved.Training and public information needs to be developed and provided for alerting authorities, wireless device vendors, and the general public.These challenges must be overcome before people choose to opt out because WEA is perceived to be more of nuisance than a help.

Examples:

Plans, policies, and procedures: Amber Alerts were disseminated through WEA by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children without clearance from the WSP. Amber Alerts were disseminated through WEA at night causing people to opt out. How and where are the zones the National Weather Service uses, which do not follow county lines, translated into FIPS codes, which follow county lines.

Technical issues: WEAs are limited to 90 characters. Location information is therefore left out under the assumption that geo-targeting counties will limit the area being notified accurately in relation to the threat. However, counties in the western US are much larger than on the East Coast. There are significant variations in the current implementation of WEA between carriers: whether they transmit Amber Alerts or not, the display of WEA information, the opt-out options. As a user travels around, his or her smartphone is supposed to pick up pertinent WEAs as he or she enters the area. The WEAs are therefore retransmitted at regular intervals and smartphones are supposed to recognize and suppress duplicate WEAs. This suppression is not working properly for some smartphone brands and models.

Training and Public information Why am I getting this? Why arent you getting this? Many phone vendors sales sale personnel are not aware of WEA functionality to the extent they should be. Training has to be developed and conducted for alerting authorities. Public information materials have to be developed for the media and the general public.11Panel membersDarrell Ruby, Region 9 Coordinator/Spokane DEM, facilitator Clay Freinwald, State Emergency Communications Committee Chair, state governance bodyCarri Gordon, AMBER Committee, state governance bodyTed Buehner, NOAA, national alerting authorityRoy Benavente, Emergency Management Division, state alerting authorityAmy Gillespie, Pierce County, local alerting authorityTBD, MyStateUSA, alert origination service providerBrian Daly, AT&T, wireless carrierIntroduce the panelists and ask present the prepared questions and answers12Audience Q&AWhat do you want to know about IPAWS?What does the audience want to know about IPAWS, EAS, or WEA?13