Another Step for National Cell Alerting

FEMA is expected to announce soon approval of technical specifications for a national system for distributing alerts through cell phones. Approval of technical specs for the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) is an important step because it tells the cell companies how to build mobile devices and infrastructure to support the alerts.

Alerts would be issued for three purposes. Presidential Alerts would get top priority. Local and state officials could also issue alerts for "Imminent Threats" or Amber Alerts.

Details on local and state activation process and procedure haven't been worked out. We hope local and state emergency management officials will have a strong voice in development of the details. Rob Kenny, a spokesman for FEMA's partner in the project the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) told us, "We recognize and understand local and state concerns about need to work effectively, so will be working with localities to help make sure they have the tools they need notify rapidly through the system."

The cell companies, or Commercial Mobile Service (CMS) providers as they're called, are not required to participate in the program. But, the law creating CMAS makes participation enticing. CMS providers who don't take part will be faced with strict requirements for notifying subscribers of non-participation. Plus, those who don't take part would be forced to allow customers to break their service contracts. Cell companies don't like their customers breaking contracts (granted, an understatement)...so, most major cell providers plan to take part.

With pending announcement on approval of the technical specifications, the CMS providers can start evaluating what this means for them from a technical perspective. One of the forums for developing knowledge is a telephone seminar next week conducted by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, the organization that represents CMS providers in rural areas. Key FEMA and FCC personnel are scheduled to participate.

CMAS and the process between now and anticipated launch in 2012 will become quite important for emergency management professionals. They'll certainly want to weigh in on the processes for actually operating CMAS, and could find themselves with an alternative approach for some of their alerts and warnings.

All the best,


Rick