The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)

Get Alerts, Stay Alive

Annual NWS Partners Meeting 5 August 2013

Wade Witmer, Deputy Director, FEMA IPAWS

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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

NON-WEATHER EMERGNECY MESSAGE

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTEDSHELTER IN PLACE WARNINGDANE COUNTY 911 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERRELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI1100 AM CDT MON APR 07 2003...SHELTER IN PLACE WARNING NEAR THE XYZ CHEMICAL PLANT NEAR DANE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT…THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS BEING TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE DANE COUNTY 911 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER DUE TO A TOXIC GAS RELEASE.MADISON EMERGNCY SERVICES HAS ISSUED A SHELTER IN PLACE WARNING. THERE HAS BEEN A RELEASE OF BUTADIENE FROM XYZ CHEMICAL PLANT. THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND IS FROM THE NORTHEAST. THE WIND SPEED IS ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR. AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE... PEOPLE NEAR THE DANE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT...AND WITHIN A 2 MILE RADIUS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER.

SHELTER IN PLACE WARNING ACTIONS:1. GO INSIDE2. CLOSE ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS3. TURN OFF ALL VENTILATION SYSTEMS4. TUNE TO LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.$$

What is the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System?

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What IPAWS is Not.– Not a subscription based mass notification system– Not an ETN or reverse dial phone system– Not an SMS or email sign up system– Not a paging or limited distribution notification system

• e.g. can’t send a recall notice to a select group of employees

IPAWS Is for: – Emergency Alert and Warning information

• i.e. not meant for messaging about changes to trash collection schedule– Alerting all citizens in an given area

IPAWS Can:–Activate EAS Radio and TV stations–Alert all (WEA capable) cell phones in a defined geographic area,

even when cell networks are congested–Send a warning message for broadcast over NOAA Weather Radio

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American People

IPAWS ArchitectureAlerting Channels (public alerting systems)

Emergency Alert System

Commercial Mobile Alert Service Gateways

Internet Services

NOAAAlert Gateways

HazCollect

Local

State

Territorial

Tribal

Federal*

ETN

NWS

CA

P m

essa

ges

CA

P messagesIPAWS compliant

CAP Alert Origination Tools

IPAWS OPEN

Future Technologies?

Alerting Authorities

* Includes NOAA

State / Local Unique Alerting Systems Siren

Emergency

(Private Sector Systems)

(State and Local Systems) (FEMA

Systems)

RBDS

Subscription Mass Notification Systems

web sites, apps widgets, social media

Alerting Authorities

128 County level w/ Public Alerting (184 County level in process for Public Alerting)

32 State level w/ Public Alerting (14 State level in process for Public Alerting)

2 Territory level w/ Public Alerting

NOAA National Weather Service (NWS)

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (AMBER Alerts)

Alert Dissemination Channels (public alerting systems)

IPAWS Users and Connections Status

Emergency Alert System

Wireless Emergency Alerts

Internet Services

NOAA

Local

State

Territorial

Federal

IPAWS OPEN

26,000 EAS participants monitoring the IPAWS EAS Feed

56 Cellular Carriers connected 11 in processMillions of handsets deployed

All Hazards NOAA Weather Radio network

36 vendors with access to monitor IPAWS Public Feed

As of July 31

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IPAWS Alerting Channels overview

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Emergency Alert System

All EAS Participants (Radio and TV) are required to monitor IPAWS for a national EAS emergency alert message

FEMA posts weekly test messages (RWTs) for each time zone on the IPAWS EAS Feed

– Allows EAS stations to validate equipment and connectivity

State and Local authorities can use IPAWS to route alerts to local EAS stations in coordination with the local stations.

FEMA recommends that IPAWS complement - but not replace - traditional systems used for state/local EAS communications with local radio and TV stations

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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Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Enables 90 character, geographically targeted, emergency alerts to be broadcast to cellular phones in a defined alert zone

Uses “cell broadcast” technology to avoid network congestion– Different channel than voice, SMS, email or web

Cellular carrier participation voluntary– Most Commercial Mobile Service Providers

(CMSP) have opted into WEA

New phones are delivered opted-in– Citizens may opt-out of receiving alerts

IPAWS is the only way emergency managers can send Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Significantly different from SMS/email based alerting systems

– Not subscription based -- true location based alerting

– 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:• Imminent Threat (Severity, Urgency, Certainty)

• AMBER / Child Abduction Emergency• Presidential (*** Cannot Opt-Out ***)

WEA use is free to alerters and alertees – no usage or text message charges

WEA is a “BELL RINGER” capability only!

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NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio

The National Weather Service (NWS) All-Hazards Emergency Message Collection System, or HazCollect, enables emergency alert messages from local alerting authorities to be broadcast over local NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio transmitters

HazCollect can be accessed through IPAWS-OPEN connection

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

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Internet Services / Applications IPAWS publishes a Public Alerts Feed accessible by approved vendors through an

MOA application process Approved 3rd party internet web services and application can monitor and retrieve

public alerts in CAP format and post or distribute the alert information via their websites, apps, subscription services, etc.

Computer or Smart Phone Apps Social Media,

Subscription services Website pop-ups

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For more informationEmail the IPAWS inbox: IPAWS@dhs.gov

IPAWS Website: http://www.fema.gov/ipaws/

EMI Independent Study Course IS-247a: https://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is247a.asp

Mailing list for IPAWS Webinar notices:http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USDHSFEMA_165

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Contact Information

Wade WitmerDeputy Director

IPAWSNational Continuity Programs

U.S. Department of Homeland Security500 C Street SW, Room 506Washington, DC 20472

202.646.2523 OfficeWade.Witmer@dhs.govINFO-IPAWS@fema.gov

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QUESTIONS?

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I IPAWS Public Education Campaign

Ready.gov/Alerts Website

FEMA and the Ad Council produced Public Safety Announcements (PSAs) on Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) for distribution on radio and TV

“IPAWS for the American People” Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Web Based Training Course

IPAWS is working with Ready.gov to create content on Alerts and Warning for the Children’s Preparedness section

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IPAWS Webinars Good source for information tailored towards IPAWS users and developers

– Register for email announcements on webinar subjects and information at:http://www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-and-warning-system-working-groups

– Past webinar archives also available

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Current Practitioner Webinar Agenda A five webinar series providing information about current IPAWS compatible

alerting tools available on the market. Each webinar features three IPAWS compatible tools. The vendor provides an

overview and demonstration of their tool and answers a few questions from participants.

– During the demonstration the vendor must detail how their tool meets four minimum IPAWS functions:

1. Demonstrate successful posting of an IPAWS-conforming Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) alert2. Retrieve message status to verify alert was successfully transmitted to the intended audience3. Demonstrate interoperable CAP exchange with other Collaborative Operating Groups (COG)4. Verify connectivity with IPAWS (using the getAck function)

Schedule:Webinar Date & Time AOSP

Webinar 1 7/24/2013 at 12:00PM ET MyStateUSA AlertSense Eyestreet Solutions On-The-Go Alerting Comlabs EMNet

Webinar 2 8/7/13 at 12:00PM ET GSS Alert StudioNC4 E-TeamFederal Signal Corporation

Webinar 3 8/14/2013 at 12:00PM ET Inspiron LogisticsAlerting SolutionsAsher Group

Webinar 4 8/28/2013 at 12:00PM ET                                     

Monroe ElectronicsCellcast TechnologiesEmergency Communications Network

Webinar 5 9/11/2013 at 12:00PM ET Interop-SolutionsAmberAlert.com - dba Law Enforcement Alerting, Inc

Geo-Comm, Inc.Webinar 6 9/25/2013 at 12:00PM ET Nixle

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