Get five emergency management professionals together, and you'll get five opinions on the best way to alert and notify the public. Opinions will range from sirens-to-telephones-to-broadcast-to-giant voice-to-flashing lights-to-instand messaging-to-social media to who knows what else. Walk the floor of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) conference vendor display area and you'll see more companies hawking their notifying and alerting wares than any other product. And, guess what, they'll all claim theirs is the best.
So, who's really right? Well, none of them...and all of them. There is no single "best" way to notify and alert the public. There are lots of them! It all depends on three questions, each one as important as the other: (1) what are you trying to say, (2) who are you trying to say it to, and (3) what do you have available?
There are significant differences in the ways people receive and react to important information...and the variances between the preferences grows daily. Gone are the days when the nation waits for dinner time to hear the late and wonderfully trustworthy Walter Cronkite tell us the way it was.
Now, some people use only the latest communication modes, like social media, to get important information. Others don't even know what social media is. Many of us rely on email, yet some young people think email is passe'. (I overheard young colleagues recently talking about a friend fighting with her boyfriend because he kept emailing her. "Doesn't he know how to text?", they said.) What about the people who don't have land telephone lines? What about special needs?
Nothing new in that paragraph. We all have seen our communications preferences change, perhaps significantly and perhaps often, during the last few years.
So, what's the best way to notify and alert the public? It's not a notification "system", but rather a "system of systems". According to Wikipedia, a system-of-systems is "a collection of task-oriented or dedicated systems which pool resources and capabilities to obtain a coalesced, more complex, 'meta-system' offering more functionality and performance than simply the sum of the constituent systems".
Translate this to the world of notifications and alerts and you have a central controlling system, built in a way that other systems can plug into it. The system of systems would be "managed", meaning specific processes would be followed for design, sustainment, operations, and flexibility. Standards, governance, and a management process would provide discipline and structure to keep the approach from becoming daunting. It's really not that difficult, but it takes acceptance by all involved that there's no "best" way of notifying and alerting the public.
Momentum is building for a managed system-of-system approach. In other posts, we've pointed the signs of momentum. Or, you can go to our web site to request a copy of the white paper, "Notifications, Alerts, Warnings: The Next Generation".
All the "best", (Please pardon the pun.)
Rick
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Nation's Largest County Tackles Notifications
The nation's most populated county, Los Angeles, recently launched a county-wide notification system. Called "Alert LA County", the system uses automated telephone dialing, e-mailing and text messaging.
The County purchased a database of both published and non-published telephone numbers. To supplement the databases, the County published a web site for residents to register cell phones Voice Over IP, or fax phones since there are no central databases available for these numbers.
The approach is not new, and not unique to L.A. County. Others have done the same. What's new, however, is the magnitude of the effort. Latest Census estimates show Los Angeles County with over 9.8-million residents!
Glaring questions are raised:
1. How do you fill the phone number gap when so many people now use cell or VOIP phones? Certainly, the sign-up site will help. But, what percentage of the County will actually register? Registration rates are generally not high. (Does anyone have a good registration success story?)
In a FEMA-commissioned study on the 2007 San Diego wildfires, a research team from Oak Ridge National Laboratories reported than only 10,000 of 450,000 households had signed up for the City of San Diego's emergency advisory system when the firestorm broke out. (See our blog at: http://www.emergencymgmt.com/emergency-blogs/alerts.
2. What keeps the local telephone infrastructure from being overloaded? Even in targeted areas of such a densely populated county, the numbers of notifications attempted can be huge. The County does not promise to notify vast areas at once, and the vendor selected by the county, Twenty First Century Communications, has an impressive story of available capacity. But, even when targeting, how can you ensure that the local system is not overwhelmed, particularly during an emergency when call volumes generally go up even before notifications are issued?
You can try to get an answer from the carriers, but it's unlikely that you will. The communications infrastructure is a complex labyrinth, and highly unpredictable in an emergency. So, the real answer to the question is "you can't".
The best you can do is be realistic about what can and cannot be done, and mitigate accordingly.
All the best,
Rick
The County purchased a database of both published and non-published telephone numbers. To supplement the databases, the County published a web site for residents to register cell phones Voice Over IP, or fax phones since there are no central databases available for these numbers.
The approach is not new, and not unique to L.A. County. Others have done the same. What's new, however, is the magnitude of the effort. Latest Census estimates show Los Angeles County with over 9.8-million residents!
Glaring questions are raised:
1. How do you fill the phone number gap when so many people now use cell or VOIP phones? Certainly, the sign-up site will help. But, what percentage of the County will actually register? Registration rates are generally not high. (Does anyone have a good registration success story?)
In a FEMA-commissioned study on the 2007 San Diego wildfires, a research team from Oak Ridge National Laboratories reported than only 10,000 of 450,000 households had signed up for the City of San Diego's emergency advisory system when the firestorm broke out. (See our blog at: http://www.emergencymgmt.com/emergency-blogs/alerts.
2. What keeps the local telephone infrastructure from being overloaded? Even in targeted areas of such a densely populated county, the numbers of notifications attempted can be huge. The County does not promise to notify vast areas at once, and the vendor selected by the county, Twenty First Century Communications, has an impressive story of available capacity. But, even when targeting, how can you ensure that the local system is not overwhelmed, particularly during an emergency when call volumes generally go up even before notifications are issued?
You can try to get an answer from the carriers, but it's unlikely that you will. The communications infrastructure is a complex labyrinth, and highly unpredictable in an emergency. So, the real answer to the question is "you can't".
The best you can do is be realistic about what can and cannot be done, and mitigate accordingly.
All the best,
Rick
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Creative Problem-Solving through Emergency Notification
We all know success stories (and some failures) about how emergency notification technology has helped inform the general public. Newspapers, TV, and web sites are full of the stories.
What the general media doesn't know are success stories about how automated notification has helped creatively solve internal challenges of making sure public safety personnel get important information they need. Some of the best stories we've heard come from the City of Los Angeles.
Here's a particularly interesting one: When L.A. Fire Department has a troublesome incident to deal with (almost every day), their staff resource decisions must be made quickly and effectively. If they devote too many resources, their payroll costs go way up and people get yelled at. If they devote too few resources, well, you know what happens.
LAFD's exceptional notification system administrator, Ron Corona, came up with an idea to interface their notification solution to payroll records. Here's what happens when a department manager gets ready to issue a notification: An interface built by LAFD takes the list of names for that particular notification, queries payroll records, and produces an accurate estimate of the payroll cost of activating the notification. The manager can then adjust the list before the notification is issued, if desired.
In a perfect world, managers wouldn't have to think about costs of call-outs...but, taking into consider costs is simply a fact of life - particularly in a department that responds to so many things so often.
The most important point of the story, though, is that through creative problem-solving, Ron and company came up with an important tool that takes their notification system to another level. There are other examples of creative notifications from LAFD. (I'll never forget seeing eyes pop out at a Microsoft seminar when Ron demonstrated his notification interface with an old, very old, pre-DOS scheduling solution.)
We can all learn from people like Ron Corona.
All the best,
Rick
What the general media doesn't know are success stories about how automated notification has helped creatively solve internal challenges of making sure public safety personnel get important information they need. Some of the best stories we've heard come from the City of Los Angeles.
Here's a particularly interesting one: When L.A. Fire Department has a troublesome incident to deal with (almost every day), their staff resource decisions must be made quickly and effectively. If they devote too many resources, their payroll costs go way up and people get yelled at. If they devote too few resources, well, you know what happens.
LAFD's exceptional notification system administrator, Ron Corona, came up with an idea to interface their notification solution to payroll records. Here's what happens when a department manager gets ready to issue a notification: An interface built by LAFD takes the list of names for that particular notification, queries payroll records, and produces an accurate estimate of the payroll cost of activating the notification. The manager can then adjust the list before the notification is issued, if desired.
In a perfect world, managers wouldn't have to think about costs of call-outs...but, taking into consider costs is simply a fact of life - particularly in a department that responds to so many things so often.
The most important point of the story, though, is that through creative problem-solving, Ron and company came up with an important tool that takes their notification system to another level. There are other examples of creative notifications from LAFD. (I'll never forget seeing eyes pop out at a Microsoft seminar when Ron demonstrated his notification interface with an old, very old, pre-DOS scheduling solution.)
We can all learn from people like Ron Corona.
All the best,
Rick
Friday, October 23, 2009
To "Reverse 911" or not to "Reverse 911"?
It's not unusual to hear automated telephone notification systems generally referred to as "reverse 9-1-1". While not unusual, it's probably not a good idea to do so. REVERSE 911™ is a trademarked term, and the owners of the trademark don't like it when the name is used incorrectly.
I know first-hand. I competed against the original owners of the trademark, and had my hands slapped more than once for improper use of the term. Then, the company I worked for bought the company that owned the trademark. I could then start using the term (although I really never got accustomed to it, my hands still stinging).
Many 9-1-1 professionals don't like the term either. They prefer that 9-1-1 be used only when referring to emergency phone calls from the public (not to the public).
So, save yourself a hand-slapping. Find another term to use when referring to automated telephone notification systems in a general way. You won't find us using "reverse 9-1-1" generically in this blog. (Oops, kind of hard to avoid.)
All the best,
Rick
I know first-hand. I competed against the original owners of the trademark, and had my hands slapped more than once for improper use of the term. Then, the company I worked for bought the company that owned the trademark. I could then start using the term (although I really never got accustomed to it, my hands still stinging).
Many 9-1-1 professionals don't like the term either. They prefer that 9-1-1 be used only when referring to emergency phone calls from the public (not to the public).
So, save yourself a hand-slapping. Find another term to use when referring to automated telephone notification systems in a general way. You won't find us using "reverse 9-1-1" generically in this blog. (Oops, kind of hard to avoid.)
All the best,
Rick
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Interesting Emergency Notification Partnerships Developing
Public safety officials are beginning to call for more versatility from their emergency notification and warning vendors. Language is beginning to show up in Requests for Proposals (RFP) such as this clause from a recent RFP:
"...uses a combination of methods for alerting the public of emergency situations, recognizing that one application cannot provide warning to all citizens."
Some vendors are beginning to get the message. They're teaming with other vendors who may have been considered competition in the past. Among announcements made recently:
"...uses a combination of methods for alerting the public of emergency situations, recognizing that one application cannot provide warning to all citizens."
Some vendors are beginning to get the message. They're teaming with other vendors who may have been considered competition in the past. Among announcements made recently:
- Rave Mobile Safety and Acoustic Technology, Inc (ATI) announced they are integrating Rave's mobile solutions with ATI's audio and visual notification capability.
- Twenty-First Century Communications and Wallace Wireless announced they signed a mutual reselling agreement to help support Blackberry® smartphone use with multi-modal notifications.
- Desktop Alert announced a partnership with Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC). Desktop Alert also has "industry alliances" with notification vendors W.A.R.N., LLC and ATI.
- Honeywell announced a partnership with REACT Systems, primarily focused on in-building notifications.
- Global Security Systems and Northrop Grumman announced a teaming agreement for wireless and non-wireless communications.
Emergency management officials should be pleased with this growing trend. It should provide more options and less hassle. There may still be a need to deal with multiple vendors, and someone from the outside may be needed to help coordinate, but at least some vendors are working together. We suspect we'll see more announcements soon.
All the best,
Rick
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Strong Emergency Notification Recommendations in California
The California legislature is mulling over recommendations for an enhanced statewide notification system. The suggestions were produced by a diverse task force of government and industry personnel working over a number of months. The legislature ordered California Emergency Management Agency (CALEMA) to create the task force, take a look at the issue, then report back. The result was a comprehensive set of recommendations that covered the gamut from writing messages to taking advantage of the alert and warning systems already in place in the state. (A copy of the draft is available here.)
Kelly Huston is Assistant Secretary at CALEMA, one of the senior officials who worked with the task force. He told us that while the legislature considers what to do about the recommendations, CALEMA is developing ways to support local agencies with their emergency notification challenges, based on the task force's findings.
He says, "It's not just a technical problem. It's multi-faceted." CALEMA has broken the various aspects of alerts and warnings into pieces, with different sections of the agency working to develop standards and recommendations for local agencies. Policy and governance are being considered, as well as standards and best practices.
Huston told us that people need to be open-minded about alerts and warnings. He says there are so many tools available that we need to be "very careful about choosing the right things, the right methods."
The report is a worthwhile read. In our opinion, it's excellent and one of the more comprehensive endeavors of its type we've seen. The task force was diverse, representing a wide spectrum of the communities of interest. Yes, there were conflicts and differences of opinions during the report's development, but the final product hits the mark. (We'll discuss various report findings in this forum at a later time.)
Too bad the State of California is broke. If the legislature were to follow the task force's recommendations, the particularly difficult challenges of emergency notification in California would be in good hands…and well ahead of most of the rest of the nation. Meantime, kudos to CALEMA for working within their limits to use the report to help local agencies.
All the best,
Rick
Kelly Huston is Assistant Secretary at CALEMA, one of the senior officials who worked with the task force. He told us that while the legislature considers what to do about the recommendations, CALEMA is developing ways to support local agencies with their emergency notification challenges, based on the task force's findings.
He says, "It's not just a technical problem. It's multi-faceted." CALEMA has broken the various aspects of alerts and warnings into pieces, with different sections of the agency working to develop standards and recommendations for local agencies. Policy and governance are being considered, as well as standards and best practices.
Huston told us that people need to be open-minded about alerts and warnings. He says there are so many tools available that we need to be "very careful about choosing the right things, the right methods."
The report is a worthwhile read. In our opinion, it's excellent and one of the more comprehensive endeavors of its type we've seen. The task force was diverse, representing a wide spectrum of the communities of interest. Yes, there were conflicts and differences of opinions during the report's development, but the final product hits the mark. (We'll discuss various report findings in this forum at a later time.)
Too bad the State of California is broke. If the legislature were to follow the task force's recommendations, the particularly difficult challenges of emergency notification in California would be in good hands…and well ahead of most of the rest of the nation. Meantime, kudos to CALEMA for working within their limits to use the report to help local agencies.
All the best,
Rick
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Emergency Notification & Social Media
If you want to know how social media and emergency notification practices are intersecting, look no further than the Denver Police Department. Denver, through the leadership of Lieutenant Matthew Murray, has committed to setting an industry example in utilizing social media to inform the public.
The department began Twittering early this summer. Tweets include descriptions of incidents and response calls, answered questions from citizens, and interesting tidbits of unusual laws on the books. The department also manages a MySpace page and a YouTube channel that features on-the-scene video and interviews with Denver officers (entitled "The Blue and You").
The department believes this is an important approach for disseminating information quickly without media filters. In an article on Denver Westword, Lieutenant Murray said, ""We can get stuff out really fast -- and stuff the media might not be that interested in. We can get a crime-scene video out [on MySpace] in seconds, and link it to Twitter."
Taking this concept to the next level we can imagine an even greater interaction between public safety and citizens through these new media. In a recent conversation with Mike Byrne, former Captain of the New York Fire Department and Microsoft executive, we discussed his vision for two-way social media communications where citizens on the scene of an event have methods for reporting information through these channels (even before responders arrive). In turn, public safety officials have methods for analyzing and interpreting these data in real-time (all part of next generation 9-1-1). The result: overall situational awareness is enhanced and a more complete common operating picture is produced.
Social media efforts will not take the place of a comprehensive, multi-modal notification program any time soon (for example, only 1400 people are currently following Denver Police on Twitter, so the reach is currently very limited). However, public safety agencies should begin understanding these technologies and considering the required resources--treating them as a complementary means of communicating.
We applaud the efforts of forward-thinking departments such as Denver who continue to develop these pervasive, entertainment-oriented applications into tools for protecting the public. There will be many more interesting developments ahead.
Best regards,
Lorin
The department began Twittering early this summer. Tweets include descriptions of incidents and response calls, answered questions from citizens, and interesting tidbits of unusual laws on the books. The department also manages a MySpace page and a YouTube channel that features on-the-scene video and interviews with Denver officers (entitled "The Blue and You").
The department believes this is an important approach for disseminating information quickly without media filters. In an article on Denver Westword, Lieutenant Murray said, ""We can get stuff out really fast -- and stuff the media might not be that interested in. We can get a crime-scene video out [on MySpace] in seconds, and link it to Twitter."
Taking this concept to the next level we can imagine an even greater interaction between public safety and citizens through these new media. In a recent conversation with Mike Byrne, former Captain of the New York Fire Department and Microsoft executive, we discussed his vision for two-way social media communications where citizens on the scene of an event have methods for reporting information through these channels (even before responders arrive). In turn, public safety officials have methods for analyzing and interpreting these data in real-time (all part of next generation 9-1-1). The result: overall situational awareness is enhanced and a more complete common operating picture is produced.
Social media efforts will not take the place of a comprehensive, multi-modal notification program any time soon (for example, only 1400 people are currently following Denver Police on Twitter, so the reach is currently very limited). However, public safety agencies should begin understanding these technologies and considering the required resources--treating them as a complementary means of communicating.
We applaud the efforts of forward-thinking departments such as Denver who continue to develop these pervasive, entertainment-oriented applications into tools for protecting the public. There will be many more interesting developments ahead.
Best regards,
Lorin
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Fixing the Homeland Security Advisory System
It would hard to argue against changing the Department of Homeland Security's The Homeland Security Advisory System alert system. It may have served its purpose in the past, but now's the time to fix it. It's not that the threats no longer exist, thus no alerting system is needed. Threats clearly exist, both natural and man-made. It's that the color-coded alert system is too blasted difficult to use.
Most significantly, it's not addressable. Threats are generally local and regional. They often affect a sector. When we talked recently (see post) with Mike Byrne, the man Tom Ridge credited in his book "The Test of Our Times", with coming up with the idea for the color-coded alert system, he told us that the original concept was for the system to be "sector specific with more geographic impact". Although DHS has, from time to time, adjusted the alert level for a sector, the system can only very awkwardly and perhaps ineffectively be adjusted.
The challenge is not a technological one. A hodgepodge of technology is available that would allow DHS to target geography and sectors; some of the necessary technology is already in place. The challenge is more one of data management and coordination.
Let's say DHS wanted to change the alert status for communities in Georgia near military bases. They could announce the change through the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), which provides secure access to many public safety agencies. Authorized personnel from the agencies simply log-on to see what's going on that could affect them. If necessary, they can take action. A pretty good system, I say, in the normal course of events. Yet, a need to change the alert system does not occur in the normal course of events. Something significant and time sensitive has occurred.
Here's where the break-down occurs: Let's say Macon, Georgia, a few miles from Robins Air Force Base (RAFB) has resources checking HSIN regularly. They'll see the alert status change, and supporting information that allows them to take action. But, what about Cochran, Georgia, another few miles from RAFB, a much smaller community? They may not be checking HSIN regularly. (Not picking on Cochran. I just know the area because I grew up there.)
So, how do you get the word to Cochran that something important is happening and they need to check HSIN? That's where the data management and coordination come into play. A process could be established through which all communities have a designated person(s) responsible for receiving a telephone call and/or other communications 24/7 that would simply alert them to check HSIN. No need to pass along secure or detailed information in a quick phone call (with confirmation required). They would simply be alerted that HSIN holds important information for them, including a change in the alert level. That person would know what process and procedure to follow in the community to respond to whatever had been passed along.
Perhaps the notification comes from DHS to the state emergency management agency. The state EMA would know which communities are most likely to be affected.
A rather tall order designating someone in every community to be responsible for receiving the tap on the shoulder, you may say. Perhaps, but with federal funding supporting such a program, it could be done quite effectively and efficiently. Thoughts?
All the best,
Rick
Most significantly, it's not addressable. Threats are generally local and regional. They often affect a sector. When we talked recently (see post) with Mike Byrne, the man Tom Ridge credited in his book "The Test of Our Times", with coming up with the idea for the color-coded alert system, he told us that the original concept was for the system to be "sector specific with more geographic impact". Although DHS has, from time to time, adjusted the alert level for a sector, the system can only very awkwardly and perhaps ineffectively be adjusted.
The challenge is not a technological one. A hodgepodge of technology is available that would allow DHS to target geography and sectors; some of the necessary technology is already in place. The challenge is more one of data management and coordination.
Let's say DHS wanted to change the alert status for communities in Georgia near military bases. They could announce the change through the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), which provides secure access to many public safety agencies. Authorized personnel from the agencies simply log-on to see what's going on that could affect them. If necessary, they can take action. A pretty good system, I say, in the normal course of events. Yet, a need to change the alert system does not occur in the normal course of events. Something significant and time sensitive has occurred.
Here's where the break-down occurs: Let's say Macon, Georgia, a few miles from Robins Air Force Base (RAFB) has resources checking HSIN regularly. They'll see the alert status change, and supporting information that allows them to take action. But, what about Cochran, Georgia, another few miles from RAFB, a much smaller community? They may not be checking HSIN regularly. (Not picking on Cochran. I just know the area because I grew up there.)
So, how do you get the word to Cochran that something important is happening and they need to check HSIN? That's where the data management and coordination come into play. A process could be established through which all communities have a designated person(s) responsible for receiving a telephone call and/or other communications 24/7 that would simply alert them to check HSIN. No need to pass along secure or detailed information in a quick phone call (with confirmation required). They would simply be alerted that HSIN holds important information for them, including a change in the alert level. That person would know what process and procedure to follow in the community to respond to whatever had been passed along.
Perhaps the notification comes from DHS to the state emergency management agency. The state EMA would know which communities are most likely to be affected.
A rather tall order designating someone in every community to be responsible for receiving the tap on the shoulder, you may say. Perhaps, but with federal funding supporting such a program, it could be done quite effectively and efficiently. Thoughts?
All the best,
Rick
Sunday, October 4, 2009
GIS Data Considerations for Notification
For ENS managers, a great deal of attention is often placed on the technology surrounding the systems themselves. While technical details such as message capacities, infrastructure requirements and security are important, mass notification systems will still be ineffective if the underlying data is poor or missing.
A white paper released recently by GIS data company InfoCode provides great insight into the various considerations regarding GIS data as it relates to emergency notification.
The first consideration discussed is is the telephone data source (E911 versus commercial data). While most would agree E911 data--utilized by the 9-1-1 center--is most accurate, factors such as high costs, slow carrier response and use restrictions might keep agencies from utilizing this source. Third-party "white pages" sources also have their benefits (e.g. availability, business/NAICS data) and drawbacks (e.g. no unlisted numbers).
The second consideration discussed is the map data source. Locally managed GIS map data certainly has its advantages, but not every agency has the staff or political relationships to pull this off. Commercial map data sources are often a good alternative. Agencies should weigh costs, degree of accuracy and frequency of updates in determining the best map data approach.
Finally, the third consideration discussed is a web-based portal for citizens. This is a growing problem since large segments of the population are turning to cell phones as their primary means of contact (no land lines). The paper highlights several best practices for developing a web portal such as building flexibility to allow for personal notification preferences, and clearly outlining privacy policies.
GIS data management is an ongoing challenge for ENS managers. How has your agency dealt with the issue? What best practice ideas do you have? We'd love to hear your feedback.
Best regards,
Lorin
A white paper released recently by GIS data company InfoCode provides great insight into the various considerations regarding GIS data as it relates to emergency notification.
The first consideration discussed is is the telephone data source (E911 versus commercial data). While most would agree E911 data--utilized by the 9-1-1 center--is most accurate, factors such as high costs, slow carrier response and use restrictions might keep agencies from utilizing this source. Third-party "white pages" sources also have their benefits (e.g. availability, business/NAICS data) and drawbacks (e.g. no unlisted numbers).
The second consideration discussed is the map data source. Locally managed GIS map data certainly has its advantages, but not every agency has the staff or political relationships to pull this off. Commercial map data sources are often a good alternative. Agencies should weigh costs, degree of accuracy and frequency of updates in determining the best map data approach.
Finally, the third consideration discussed is a web-based portal for citizens. This is a growing problem since large segments of the population are turning to cell phones as their primary means of contact (no land lines). The paper highlights several best practices for developing a web portal such as building flexibility to allow for personal notification preferences, and clearly outlining privacy policies.
GIS data management is an ongoing challenge for ENS managers. How has your agency dealt with the issue? What best practice ideas do you have? We'd love to hear your feedback.
Best regards,
Lorin
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