How the IPAWS Continues to Evolve Alert and Warning Capability
By Mr. Antwane Johnson, Division Director and Program Manager, FEMA IPAWS, USA
Over the last seventy years, public alert and warning systems in the United States have evolved from the early civil defense programs into the Integrated Public and Alert Warning System (IPAWS) that is used today.
IPAWS is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) system for alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information to the public. Over 1,700 Alerting Authority partners nationwide utilize IPAWS for public Alerts, Warnings, and Notifications (AWN).
This article provides an historical overview of AWN in the United States, the IPAWS program that is in use today, and the ways the program works to support Alerting Authorities.
Evolution of Public Warning in the United States
Over the last 70 years, public alert and warning systems in the United States have evolved to support the safety of the American public. Today, FEMA continues to enhance and extend its national alert and warning capability to federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal organizations. FEMA’s IPAWS is a critical U.S. alert and warning capability that spans the entire spectrum of emergency management from preparedness through recovery, to save lives and protect our most important stakeholder, the public.
Prior to 1951, the United States government did not have a coordinated means for communicating emergency information to the American public. At that time, President Harry S. Truman established the Control of Electromagnetic Radiation (CONELRAD) program to send an emergency broadcast in the event of an enemy attack during the Cold War. CONELRAD (originally called the “Key Station System”) was organized as a network of AM radio stations with special procedures for warning citizens and providing emergency instructions and information in the event of a national emergency.
The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) was developed in 1963 under an executive order issued by President John F. Kennedy. EBS expanded the number of radio frequencies used to broadcast alerts with CONELRAD and added television stations to the EBS system. Although the system was never used for a national emergency, EBS was used for more than 30 years to alert the public.
Created by Federal Communications Commission regulations in 1995, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) modernized EBS. Of particular importance EAS integrated Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) protocol. This functionality automated alert transmission and the activation to radio and TV stations as well as enhancing the system’s integration with the National Weather Service, and state and local alerting systems.
Following hurricane Katrina in 2006, President George W. Bush signed into effect Executive Order 13407, establishing a policy for 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. In response to EO 13407, FEMA implemented the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System program to improve upon the EAS and adopt standards to enable interoperability and the secure delivery of coordinated messages to the American people through as many communication pathways as practicable. In addition to radio and television broadcast, IPAWS integrated wireless emergency alerts for alerting via mobile devices, digital signage, and other internet connected devices and applications.
Overview of IPAWS
IPAWS is an IP based enhancement to public alert and warning that allows Alerting Authorities to send AWN simultaneously via multiple communications pathways. IPAWS consists of two main parts: IPAWS-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (OPEN) and the National Public Warning System (NPWS).
IPAWS-OPEN is the federated system that enables Alerting Authorities to independently craft and transmit alerts targeted for their communities. IPAWS-OPEN uses technology and protocols managed by IPAWS. Over 1,700 Alerting Authorities use IPAWS at the federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local government level. Tens of thousands of alerts are sent each month, including AMBER, extreme weather, evacuation orders, curfew in effect, shelter in place, and more.
NPWS consists of seventy-seven specially designated and highly resilient commercial and public radio broadcast stations who cooperatively participate with FEMA. NPWS ensures that under all conditions, the President of the United States can communicate with the public under all conditions.
To maintain the accessibility and accuracy of alerts, an international technical data specification known as the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is used for all IPAWS message creation. CAP provides the capability to include multiple languages and rich multimedia content such as photographs, maps, video, audio, and enables geo-targeting alerts to a defined warning area.
The IPAWS Project Management Office continuously works with industry partners on new approaches and technologies to expand, improve, and reinforce the IPAWS program and to evolve the alert and warning ecosystem.
The IPAWS Technical Support Service Facility
The IPAWS Technical Service Support Facility (TSSF), provides Federal, State, local, territorial, and tribal Alerting Authorities and public safety officials with technical support and best practices for IPAWS activations, alert troubleshooting, Wireless Emergency Alerting tests, monthly proficiency demonstrations, and other IPAWS-related requests.
Whether it is an existing authority looking to remain proficient, or a new authority that has just obtained permissions to alert, the IPAWS TSSF provides a safe and closed environment to familiarize, learn, practice, and improve AWN procedures and processes.
Located just a short distance away from Washington, D.C, at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, the IPAWS TSSF is staffed 24/7 with subject-matter experts experienced in emergency management, public safety communications. The TSSF is available for Alerting Authorities to train, practice, and exercise alert, warning, and notification procedures and processes.
Author: Bio
Mr. Antwane Johnson is the Division Director and Program Manager of the FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System program office. He is responsible for integrating the nations alert and warning capabilities and ensuring that the President can communicate with the American people under all conditions.
Mr. Johnson was previously the Director for Critical Infrastructure Protection within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense & Americas’ Security Affairs (OASD HD&ASA).
Prior to his work with Critical Infrastructure Protection, Mr. Johnson worked for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as the Chief of Information Management Technology.
He is a graduate of Norfolk State University; National Defense University’s Information Resource Management College Chief Information Officer Program; the Defense Acquisition University Defense Systems Management College; and the Western and Eastern Management Development Centers. Mr. Johnson has also received numerous awards, including the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Commanders Award for Civilian Service.
