Shoulds Alerts and Warnings Vendors be Threatened by IPAWS

With FEMA under Presidential Executive Order to develop an "effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system to alert and warn the American people", private companies active in the space must be asking, "Hey, will that put me out of business?" Others are asking, "Hmm, I wonder if I can sell FEMA something?" These are a pretty good questions considering the Executive Order takes FEMA beyond its historical responsibility of Presidential alerting only.

Well, the answer to both questions is probably "No".

Although FEMA intends to help stand up a modernized, comprehensive national alerting system through their IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) program, they're really planning to build a framework for others to hook in to...which can include private companies. The head of FEMA's National Continuity Programs Directorate, Damon Penn, likens IPAWS to the iPhone. Vendors will be able to build IPAWS apps, just like vendors build iPhone apps.

Of course, there will be rules to follow, just as there are rules for developing iPhone apps. In the IPAWS case, many of those rules have yet to be developed. The most mature rules are the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and technical specifications for the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS). The latest version of CAP is expected to be approved by FEMA in the coming months. Once that happens, participants in the Emergency Alert System (EAS), mostly broadcasters, will need to update their equipment so it will work through IPAWS. Meantime, cable carriers are using the approved technical specifications to equip mobile devices to handle cell broadcast alerts through IPAWS.

Vendors who supply other types of alerts and warnings (land line telephone, sirens, texting, email, radio, network, etc) can follow the same path. Same is true of vendors involved with emerging means of alerting and warning (i.e. social media). They can also "build apps" for hooking into IPAWS.

So, no, IPAWS shouldn't put alert and warning vendors out of business. In fact, IPAWS could represent a market opportunity for vendors to shine and deliver value to customers. They'll need to pay attention, get engaged in the process, and follow the rules.

All the best,

Rick