Emergency Alerts through Gaming Consoles?

Will that Xbox you purchase this Christmas be the next tool for alerting the public? It will if New York State's CIO office has anything to do with it.

In an article on Information Week's website covering the Interop technology conference, Rico Singleton, New York's Deputy CIO, confirmed the state is in the testing phase for issuing alerts and warnings through networked gaming consoles such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Wii Connect.

Currently, console manufacturers offer the ability for gamers to compete against one another over the Internet. Under the proposed plan, emergency alerts would be pushed across these networks, alerting game-playing citizens in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

"The goal," said Singleton, "is to reach younger residents who spend more time on the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii than with television or radio." He further stated the plan made sense, "considering the amount of time our youth spend on video games."

It is likely this alerting strategy will target more than young people. A study published in August of this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found 45% of the sample (552 adults in the Seattle-Tacoma areas) stated they played video games often. The most typical age for video game play was in the 35-54 age category. Although the sampled geographic area has one of the highest Internet adoption rates in the country, and the study did not examine networked video game play exclusively, the results are nevertheless interesting as they relate to issuing public alerts through gaming consoles.

Will this approach work? Only time will tell. Either way, it provides support for the pervasive and growing trend of "multi-modal" strategies related to emergency notifications.

All the best,

-Lorin


To receive a comprehensive white paper: "Notifications Alerts & Warnings, The Next Generation" go to http://galainsolutions.com/resources.html.

NG ENS Part II: Moving from One-Way Alerts to Two-Way Situational Awareness

Our first post in a series on "Next Generation ENS" discussed the movement of systems from stand-alone, single-purpose applications to multi-faceted, highly integrated communications networks. We also provided some examples of how this is materializing. Continuing our series, we now look at a second, related next-generation innovation.

TREND #2: MOVING FROM ONE-WAY ALERTING TO TWO-WAY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Today, when one thinks of mass notification, we most often think of one-way “blasts” of information to the public. These typically entail simple messages, in various forms, pushed to individuals based on rules, geographic locations, etc.

This approach relies on the assumption that officials have a basic understanding of a situation and know what instructions to give. However, because officials often do not know what information to disseminate in the early stages of a crisis (they may be in the process of responding), they wisely refrain from releasing anything. A considerable amount of time may pass before responders gather sufficient information to issue an alert, even though earlier interaction with on-the-scene citizens might have been useful.

As solutions progress, we believe officials using next-generation technology will be able to 1) precisely target citizens through mobile devices in an affected area with an alert whether or not they've subscribed (more on this later), and 2) citizens will be able to respond to questions or provide useful situational feedback. This enhancement to current systems moves notification from a rigid, one-way method to a dynamic interactive form, providing for a more accurate common operating picture.

Such an approach is not without its challenges. Many questions must be answered before this could actually work. Questions like:

- How will we handle the sheer volume of “inputs” from the public?
- How will we analyze this feedback in real-time turning it into actionable intelligence?
- How will we know the information we’re receiving is legitimate and trustworthy?
- How will we secure such a system?

All good questions. Answers are uncertain at this point, but thinking outside traditional one-way notification lines will help spur innovation to benefit both first responders and the public.

What do you think? We'd love to hear from you regarding this or other ideas for next generation ENS.

Best regards,

Lorin


To receive a comprehensive white paper: "Notifications Alerts & Warnings, The Next Generation" go to http://galainsolutions.com/resources.html.

Statewide Notification Plan Stifled by...Guess What

The California state legislature took a strong stand a couple of years ago and directed state emergency management officials to form a public/private task force to create recommendations for a statewide alert and notification plan. The task force worked diligently, and developed a comprehensive (and, in our opinion, impressive) set of recommendations.

The problem: You guessed it...money. It would be natural for the recommendations to be followed by legislation that would provide funding to put the suggestions into effect. Imagine the response such a bill would get in a state where state employees are working (or more accurately, getting paid for) only four days a week because of the budget crunch. It wouldn't be pretty.

The state senator who introduced the legislation creating the task force says she was pleased with the work the task force did. However, no funding legislation appears imminent. Despite that, Senator Fran Pavley told us she and her legislative colleagues will work "to explore ways we can implement improvements to our emergency alert systems during these challenging times".

Meantime, state emergency management officials are trying to figure out how to put as many of the recommendations into effect as possible, without spending much money on it. California Emergency Management Agency (CALEMA) Deputy Director Kelly Huston told us CALEMA has taken the report and broken it down into areas of responsibility within the agency to begin expanding on the recommendations. A public/private work group is being consulted. (See our earlier post: Strong Emergency Notifications Recommendations in California.)

Yes, money is tight, but considering the amount of time it takes to get things done in government, we suggest that now is the perfect time to start pushing forward ambitious notifications, alerts and warnings initiatives. The economy will improve. Plus, we suspect (and hope) Congress and the feds will start putting more money into this critical area.

All the best,

Rick

Meshing Alerts and Warnings with Other Solutions

Hearing emergency management and other public safety officials complain about too many technology solutions to manage, vendors are becoming more aggressive about integrating notification and alerts solutions with other types of solutions. This, at the same time that vendors have shown more interest in bringing together different modes of alerting, warning, and notifying through partnerships and integration. (See our post,"Interesting Emergency Notification Partnerships Developing".)


Here are some of the cross-solution relationships on our radar - some through partnerships, others through internal solution integration.

• ESI WebEOC is integrated with several notification vendors - MIR3, Dialogic Communications Corporation and Cooper Notification.


• Twenty First Century Communications (TFCC) and Intrapoint announced emergency notification/incident management integration. TFCC also announced a partnership with Strategic BCP joining emergency notification and business continuity planning.


• MissionMode touts crisis management, incident management, and emergency notification in one tool.


• Cyperex offers an incident management/notification tool.


• BlackCoral has signed an agreement with DeskTop Alert to interface BlackCoral's information exchange, collaboration, and situational awareness to DeskTop's network-centric notification solutions. BlackCoral announced a similar arrangement with ERMS Corporation.


• Send Word Now recently announced it will offer incident management and business continuity solutions intergrated with notification services.


• Dialogic Communications Corporation (DCC) and GlobalAlertLink announced integration between DCC's notification solution and GlobalAlertLink's planning and incident management tools.


• PIER Systems offers document management, web content management and press release distribution in conjunction with its notification solutions.


• Everbridge announced a strategic partnership with NC4 for meshing situational awareness offerings with notification offerings. Everbridge also announced a partnership with AccuWeather, Inc. to link weather info to alerts. And, the company announced a relationship with SAFER Systems to integrate chemical incident management with notifications.


• Rave Wireless has made several announcements that exemplify relationships between notification and other solutions. Rave's alerting product has been integrated with a community or campus crime tip solution. Rave and Sungard announced a partnership to couple safety tools with campus administration tools. And, the Rave Guardian solution ties notification to panic button and follow-me safety solutions.

We don't purport this to be a complete list. And, I suspect we'll hear from vendors not included on the list (which we welcome). But, the list provides a snapshot of cross-solution integration of alert and warning technology to other solutions. We expect (and hope) more are on the way, and we encourage emergency management professionals to keep the pressure on for more emergency notification integration to enhance response.

All the best,

Rick

FM Radio Tuners In Mobile Devices: The Next Notification Trend?

Will FM radio tuners in mobile devices be the "next big thing" in alerting citizens? Last Friday, 60 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed and delivered a letter* to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano requesting their respective agencies "explore the potential benefits for the American public of including FM radio tuners in mobile telephone handsets" as a component of a national alert system.

The letter points out that the Warning Alert and Response Network Act of 2006 pushes the wireless industry to develop a mobile device alert system--something FM radio tuners in mobile devices could help achieve. The letter states that globally, more than 700 million mobile devices have these chips installed, though very few of these are within the U.S.

Broadcasters such as Clear Channel Radio, Commonwealth Broadcasting Corp., and Entercom Communications Corp support the idea, presumably since the FM tuner chip provides another "distribution channel" for their media products.

The approach is not without its opponents, however. According to a post on www.TheHill.com, CTIA (the international association for the wireless industry) has thrown its support behind a text-messaging-based scheme. The industry believes requiring a mobile device to constantly monitor FM airwaves for alerts would greatly diminish battery life--an unacceptable outcome. They say the technology options have already been evaluated by an FCC advisory group, and text alerting was declared the winner.

It is difficult to know whether or not FM-based alert delivery will catch on. As with other notification methods, the approach offers both benefits and challenges. What is clear is the growing national interest and sense of urgency surrounding alerts and warnings, highlighted by House members' involvement this week. We believe discussions such as these, while sometimes controversial, are ultimately positive steps toward a more informed and safer America.

All the best,

Lorin


FYI on VENDORS

Last week at the IAEM conference, I met with two vendors utilizing FM frequencies for alerting--Ft. Lauderdale, FL-based Global Security Systems (AlertFM) and Melbourne, FL-based viaRadio. Both have portable and fixed devices for citizens or for mounting in buildings to generate audible and visual alerts. (A third vendor, Lewisville, TX-based American Messaging (RavenAlert) also offers portable and fixed devices for in-building notifications, but utilizes a commercial pager network). We would love to hear from other vendors in this space as well.

*Thanks to Congressman Phil Roe's Office (R-TN) for providing a copy of the Representative's letter to DHS and the FCC.

To receive a comprehensive white paper: "Notifications Alerts & Warnings, The Next Generation" click here and select "Notifications, Alerts & Warnings."

Only 50% of Citizens Are Aware of Alerts & Warnings

Only 50% of citizens are aware of community alert and warning methods according to a national Citizen Corp study. The study, presented this week at the International Association of Emergency Mangers (IAEM) conference, examined a number of crisis-related factors, including the preparedness level of people for emergencies of various types and the awareness of community response initiatives.

The findings related to notification illustrate there is much work remaining for public safety agencies in educating citizens on the tools and processes for getting the word out. While the question was not posed exclusively to citizens within jurisdictions having a traditional ENS (and therefore, we can't say 50% of people in communities with an emergency notification system DO NOT know about it), it nevertheless points to needs for local agencies to communicate their outreach methods whatever they may be.

This is a constant challenge. Many agencies struggle just to have enough budget dollars for system acquisitions or ongoing maintenance. Money for community awareness just isn't there. Often, however, large communication budgets are less necessary than focused efforts and a little creativity.

"Branding" a communication campaign and exploring relationships with civic organizations, religious institutions, local business, press, etc. may yield positive results for little or no cost. Agencies should remember it takes multiple exposures for people to absorb any message, so diverse communication channels should be deployed. Persistence is key (keep pushing the message out even if you're sick of hearing it internally: it's just beginning to work at that point).

Educated citizens can make the response to a critical situation safer and more effective. Efforts focused on increasing public awareness of notification methods will pay dividends in the long run.

All the best,

Lorin

NG ENS: Next Generation Emergency Notification--Part I from IAEM

I write this post from the halls of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) conference. It has been my privilege today to speak with a variety of emergency management officials and vendors alike. Invariably, throughout these conversations, the question seems to arise, "Where is emergency notification headed?"

From our vantage point, we believe there exists in the industry today some interesting big-picture trends that will change the landscape of ENS over the next decade. As such, we begin a series on Next Generation Emergency Notification Systems (NG ENS). Over the coming weeks, we will look into our crystal ball and highlight a few of the market demands and unfolding technology innovations, hopefully providing both buyers and vendors with a few things to ponder.

TREND #1: MOVING FROM PROPRIETARY, STAND ALONE SYSTEMS TO HIGHLY INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

Most emergency notification systems in use today are essentially stand-alone applications. In many cases, these are on-premise, proprietary systems, contributing yet another “black box” server to the emergency operations center’s stable of hardware. In growing numbers, systems can be accessed through the Internet or a secure network, with no on-premise hardware (Software as as Service, or SaaS). Yet, regardless of the deployment option, few are tightly integrated into other critical applications at both the data and interface levels. We believe such integration will be a hallmark of NG ENS in the future.

Emergency managers know well that notification is but one small element of managing the response to a critical event. Other key functions include:

· Information gathering and analysis (through multiple channels and/or disparate databases)

· Dispatching of active and/or off-duty resources, potentially across multiple agencies and jurisdictions

· Decision-making within the constraints of the current environment along with an evaluation of potential future risks

· And more.

While many of the applications designed to aid with these functions also currently stand alone, they are clearly merging. Incident management applications are assimilating with traditional call-taking and CAD systems which are also tying to Records Management Systems (RMS) and other applications, etc. As such, it makes little sense to operate and maintain a separate alerting system when much of the data and operational processes overlap.

Certain vendors have paid lip service to the idea of comprehensive seamless integration, but there has been little real movement on this front to date. Standards-based, integrated solutions will evolve, however, as time passes (we're beginning to see signs of this). And notification systems will further mature in their ability to "talk" with other notification systems (a system of systems approach).

The market is looking for ways to streamline costs and enhance operational efficiencies: this will help relieve that pain. Look for emergency notification to evolve into a sophisticated module within a much larger application, instead of a stand-alone service or software application.

What do you think? Let us hear from you regarding this and other trends you see developing. Stay tuned for additional installments.

Best regards,

Lorin



To receive a comprehensive white paper: "Notifications Alerts & Warnings, The Next Generation" go to http://galainsolutions.com/resources.html.

Alerts and Notifications. Help!

More agencies are beginning to ask for outside help with their emergency notification programs. In the past few weeks alone, we've seen three Requests for Proposals (RFPs) issued for consultants to help with multi-facted notifications, alerts, and warnings programs. We've not seen this many procurement activities of this type in the last decade.

Over the years, we've seen many notification and alert programs flounder (and sometimes fail) because a comprehensive approach wasn't taken. The topic has become more complex. No longer is it as simple as buying technology, getting some training, then expecting success. The approach needs to span well beyond technology. Plus, the approach needs to include a mechanism for staying fresh - particularly important as individual communication preferences continue to evolve.

A senior public safety technology manager for a large city told us last week that he's seen a significant gap in the implementation side of technology initiatives, such as alerting and notifications. He said they had been able to buy "cool stuff" through federal grants, but have struggled to put the "cool stuff" to good use. Implementation help from the outside would be helpful, he told us.

Whether the three recent RFPs represent the beginning of a trend in the area of alerts and notifications, we're not sure yet. We hope so. Granted, our hope is a bit self-serving since this type of consultation is a practice area for our company. But, that aside, we think outside help will lead to more successful alert and warning programs. If nothing else, it forces focus. Public safety officials are multi-taskers by necessity; focus on a specific project is difficult. By using outside consultants, public safety officials can force focus.

All the best,

Rick

DHS Proposes Private Sector Disaster Preparedness Standards. How Does it Impact Alerts and Warnings?

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially proposed three key standards to guide private sector entities in disaster preparedness. DHS is currently seeking public comment on these. The first two standards generally relate to plans and processes for ensuring the continuity of business. The third standard, NFPA 1600--issued by the National Fire Protection Agency, is designed to provide guidance related specifically to response and recovery (with some overlap of the other two as well).

How does this relate to the notifications and warnings industry--particularly for the public sector? First, the selection of NFPA standards is interesting to us. We continue to see the NFPA show up in conversations related to emergency notification. NFPA 72, for example, recently expanded its traditional definition of "alarms" (historically in-building sirens and flashing lights) to encompass virtually any other form of mass warning, both within the immediate vicinity of a "situation" and beyond (see "Mass Notification Redefined"). We expect to see continued leadership from this organization in the area of alerts and warnings.

Second, the topic of critical communications with emergency personnel and communities is featured throughout each of these standards in some form. While a private enterprise may not be directly responsible for issuing a mass notification alert in a critical situation (a chemical release from a factory for example), it is responsible for providing local officials with timely, specific information that might affect the public. Its existence may even be a primary driver for obtaining an emergency notification solution. Public safety agencies in locations where local businesses could pose a public risk will do well to work alongside these organizations in their continuity planning process--ensuring mass notification procedures are well aligned.

It will be interesting to see how well these standards catch on in the private sector. Already, companies appear to be balking at the notion that DHS, in big-brother form, is telling them how to run their business (there is also a fear that these "suggested" standards will become requirements when selling to the government). In either case, watch out for a continued blurring of the lines between private and public sector crisis communications, pointing to the need for comprehensive, integrated alert and warning programs.

All the best,

Lorin