IPAWS Overview

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IPAWS The Integrated Public Alert and Warning
System
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History of Emergency Alerts

• CONELRAD
• EBS
• EAS
• Limitations
• In the past, all alerts came through radio and
  television transmission
• Alerts were audio-only
• Alerts were only in English
• Daisy-chain limitations

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What 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 managers

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IPAWS Architecture

• One 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, then
• The message will go through multiple distribution
  paths to reach every available communications
  device
• IPAWS is developing standards and protocols to
  increase interoperability among alert and warning
  systems

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IPAWS Architecture
Message Disseminators
Emergency Managers IPAWS compliant
CAP Alert Origination Tools
Public
Emergency Alert System
IP access networks
Federal

AM FM Satellite Radio Digital Analog Cable
Satellite TV
Digital EAS
PBS
IPAWS
Cellular Broadcast
Cellular Phones
State
Cellular Carriers Networks
Web Browsers, widgets, web sites
Internet Services
Local
message aggregation, authentication, adaption
NOAA
State / Local Unique Alerting Systems (e.g. ETN,
Siren, Signage systems)
IP distribution networks
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Progress to Date

• The first standard IPAWS has developed is called
  the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)
• Allows a single alert message to be routed over
  many systems
• Can easily work with language translation
  software for non-English speakers, hearing
  impaired and other special audiences
• IPAWS working to upgrade participating systems
  to be CAP compatible
• NOAA
• Cellular broadcast
• For cell phone alerts, the interface is finished
  that allows a message to go from the IPAWS system
  to the cell phone users
• Geo-Targeted Alerting System (GTAS) pilot
  projects

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Geo-Targeted Alerting System (GTAS)

• What Is GTAS
• Why GTAS
• How GTAS Works
• GTAS Connectivity
• GTAS Locations

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What is GTAS?

• GTAS is a joint pilot project between NOAA and
  FEMA providing Emergency Managers with a new
  software tool
• Integrates NOAAs advanced weather information
  and warning infrastructure with FEMA IPAWS
  dissemination systems
• Its a JAVA based system with a graphical user
  interface.
• Provides targeted warnings to the public in event
  of toxic release via reverse 911 technology

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Why GTAS?
GTAS strengthens the Nations ability to address
disasters and ensure the Nations jurisdictions
have adequate programs to effectively address all
hazards and minimize loss of life and property

• Presidential Executive Order 13407,
• Function 3 of Public Alert and Warning System
• Ensure the capability to adapt the distribution
  and content of communications on the basis of
  geographic location, risks, or personal user
  preferences, as appropriate
• Mitigates Current Gaps in Emergency Manager
  Support
• Modeling tools easy to use and understood by
  those that do not have meteorology and
  modeling/simulation training.

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How GTAS Works?

• Provides targeted warnings to the public in event
  of toxic release via reverse 911 technology
• Integrates NOAAs advanced weather information
  and warning infrastructure with FEMA IPAWS
  dissemination systems
• Operational in community EOC and Weather Field
  Office
• Interface to Commercial Mobile Alert System via
  CAP messages.

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GTAS Provides Emergency Manager a Easy to Use Tool

• GTAS provides information the emergency manager
  needs to quickly identify the public that is at
  risk
• Uses a simple graphical user interface for system
  managers
• Provides collaboration tools, so the EM can work
  with the experts at a WFO to clarify the
  information that is being presented

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Where GTAS will be Piloted in 2009

• Southern Region VI (Completed)
• Weather Field Office, Ft Worth, TX
• Dallas Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
• Western Region X
• Weather Field Office, Seattle, WA
• Washington State EOC
• City of Seattle EOC
• Eastern Region II
• Weather Field Office, New York City
• New York State EOC
• New York City EOC

• Central Region VII
• Weather Field Office, Pleasant Hill, MO
• Kansas State EOC
• Kansas City EOC

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Conclusion

• The completion of the IPAWS system is estimated
  for 2012
• IPAWS is in regular contact with the FEMA
  Regional team. Please check there for updates.
• News and other topics can be found on the IPAWS
  website http//www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/index
  .shtm
• GTAS Pilot Project in Washington

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Andrew Hendrickson Tribal Liaison FEMA Region
X andrew.hendrickson_at_dhs.gov 425-487-4784