Emergency Notification and the Deaf Community

An ongoing concern among emergency managers across the country is how to adequately alert and notify citizens with disabilities. The topic is complicated (too complex for a simple blog post). However, I do want to pass along some insight gained recently in discussions with IPAWS staff and senior leaders of the Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Communications Policy (experts on communications technologies for people with disabilities). This particular insight relates to individuals who are deaf from birth and how their communication requirements may differ.

I have to admit a certain degree of confusion and lack of understanding on this issue. Over the years, we have witnessed members of this community express a desire to have alerts pushed to recipients in video format that would feature an interpreter creating a sign-language version of the message.

In my ignorance, I wondered why text-based methods simply did not suffice (SMS, email, TDD/TTY)--particularly since pushing video to large groups of people has network implications (especially during a crisis) and a practical challenge exists in having the equipment and resources to capture "broadcast quality" video at the local emergency management level.

I've since learned that citizens who are deaf from birth process information differently from others who do not have hearing deficiencies (different even from those who have developed deficiencies over time or as a result of an injury). Sign language itself is more "conceptual" in nature--not a literal translations of all words. And, conceptual interaction typically forms the basis of communication for individuals who did not initially learn to process information through hearing. As such, communications in text form may not carry the same meaning as communications in the conceptual signing form.

Given this, it would certainly be prudent for emergency managers to investigate ways of providing alert messages in sign language forms. How can this be achieved practically? There are a couple of resources worth looking into.

First is a resource named DeafLink. This organization offers sign language interpretation to anyone interested in reaching the deaf community, including government agencies. They provide support for emergency management and first responder agencies through their Accessible Hazard Alert System (AHAS). According to its website: "In minutes after receiving authorized emergency information, Deaf Link produces an 'air ready' alert for broadcast by cable or television stations in sign language, voice and text."

A second interesting resource is Signtel. Signtel is offering a beta application that claims to be able to translate text into sign language automatically in real time. According to its website: "Users can create messages by typing text or using speech recognition. The system translates the message into Sign Language video, which can then be transmitted along with the text and voice message..."

While we do not have first-hand experience with either of these services, they certainly seem worthy of exploration. Whatever the approach, we believe emergency managers should carefully consider ways to enhance their notification programs to ensure alerts and warnings are equally accessible to everyone in the community.

Thanks to Dr. Helena Mitchell, Salimah LaForce, and Frank Lucia of Georgia Tech's Center for Advanced Communication Policy, and to Al Kenyon of FEMA IPAWS for their input.

Best regards,

Lorin

City of New York Begins Silver Alerts

Today, City of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed legislation establishing a Silver Alert notification system. According to a press release by the mayor's office, more than 250,000 people within the city suffer from from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia that contribute to people wandering away from caregivers. As such, this vulnerable population is at risk of injury or death.

With the signing of this legislation, the Police Department will be charged to develop and implement a means for sharing information about missing seniors who may be in imminent danger. Shared information will include a person's name, age, brief description, and the area where they were last seen or the description of the car they may have been driving. Public notifications will be sent through various outlets to include NotifyNYC (the city's automated notification system), television and radio, as well as hospitals, senior centers and other institutions.

We see this as a growing trend across the country and applaud New York's efforts to use emergency notification technology as a valuable life-saving tool.

Best regards,

Lorin

Radio Used as Backbone for Notification Test

This week, Metis Secure Solutions announced the completion of a project funded by FEMA to illustrate the effectiveness of sending emergency alerts through the FM Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS) method. RBDS is a U.S. radio industry standard for transmitting digital information to radio receivers. It's the technology that drives your ability to see song/artist information on a car radio, and can be used to deliver other types of data such as emergency alert messages.

There were four tests--one of them originating with the common alerting protocol (CAP) format. Each alert activated voice, text, lights and sirens (these devices are capable of receiving and interpreting the radio signal). Alert text was sent in English and Spanish, and the alert voice was activated in English, Spanish, and Korean.

Typically, mass notification systems rely on Internet protocols or mobile phone networks. It will be interesting to see what future applications emerge as this radio-oriented concept continues to gain traction.

Best regards,

Lorin

New Jersey Looking to Create a Specialized Notification Registry

New Jersey is in the process of passing a bill to create a specialized emergency notification registry. The voluntary registry would be used specifically to notify family members when a person is involved in a serious automobile accident.

According to an AP article by Bruce Shipowski, the measure would allow individuals with a New Jersey driver's license or state identification card to submit the name and telephone number of an emergency contact to the Motor Vehicle Commission. If the person is seriously injured or killed in an auto accident, law enforcement personnel would use the registry to notify the emergency contact.

The measure is known as "Sara's Law," in honor of Sara Dubinin, a 19-year-old resident of Sayreville, NJ who was critically injured in an auto accident. It took responders 90 minutes to determine her identity and notify her parents. Tragically, Sara slipped into a coma en route to the hospital and never regained consciousness.

While this is not a mass notification solution of the type we typically discuss here, it will be interesting to follow nevertheless for two reasons. First, state-wide notification initiatives of various types are being considered across the country. Though limited in scope, this is another example of a state legislature recognizing the need for some form of notification system.

Second, assuming this measure passes, it will be interesting to see how the public responds to sign-ups. Convincing citizens to sign up for voluntary registries is no small feat as evidenced by notification programs across the country. However, the simplicity and focused nature of the program may compel people to participate. It's reminiscent of the "ICE (In Case of Emergency)" initiative where people are encouraged to enter emergency contact information in their mobile devices under the heading of "ICE". This idea was conceived in 2005 by an EMT in the United Kingdom and has spread virally across the globe in a relatively short amount of time.

Will this pass and be a successful statewide initiative? Only time will tell. In the meantime, the public discussion certainly helps highlight an important issue.

Best regards,

Lorin

When Good Notifications Go Bad

The Fourmile wildfire just outside of Boulder, Colorado is thankfully mostly contained as of this writing. However, discussions surrounding a partial failure of the county's emergency notification system may remain heated for some time. Just over 2600 residents did not receive emergency notification evacuation notices during the height of the wildfires.

The situation highlights a reality for emergency managers. No doubt, ENS technology is an indispensable technology for public safety. However, technologies fail and people make mistakes. So how should emergency officials respond when things don't go as planned with a notification? Here are a few tips to consider.

Have a backup plan.
Experienced emergency managers know you have to be prepared for any contingency. This holds true for notification as well. Consider the actions required if the ENS is not operational and develop response plans accordingly.

Preventing is better than fixing.
Some problems can be addressed before they arise through operator education and exercising. Consistent training and simulation is critical to keeping problems away before they start (or at least identifying problematic issues when there is no ongoing crisis with which to contend).

Don't forget to test.
Along these lines, make sure you frequently and regularly test both your systems and your procedures. We have seen agencies faithfully perform system tests, but forget to regularly evaluate internal procedures.

Keep citizens informed of problem causes and improvements.
It's never fun to be in the media cross hairs after a problem has occurred. However, it's important to be open and honest with what really happened. Accurately describing failures and communicating commitments about problem corrections will go a long way towards rebuilding trust.

From our perspective, officials in Colorado dealt with a difficult situation as well as one could hope. Everyone in the industry can learn from this event and prepare themselves should emergency notification events fail to meet expectations.

Best regards,

Lorin

Promoting Preparedness with Community Notification

As most of you know, September is National Preparedness Month--a time to increase public awareness on preparing for disasters. Historically, compelling people to proactively ready themselves for bad things (particularly when no imminent threat exists) has proven to be difficult. For example, last year, the American Red Cross found in a national survey that 89% of Americans believed it was important to prepare for disasters, but only 57% said they had taken steps toward preparedness.

So how can emergency notification systems aid in citizen preparation?

Promoting preparedness with ENS.

ENS systems are powerful tools for informing citizens quickly and efficiently. As such, local agencies should consider using them to encourage citizen preparedness. While automated calls are not appropriate for imparting a great deal of detail, here is some information you may wish to communicate:

- Refer citizens to online resources such as www.ready.gov that describes items to include in preparedness kits (or better yet, refer them to your local emergency management site that includes this information).

- In addition to "hard goods" preparation such as water and flashlights, encourage the development of personal communications plans. Provide details on your website.

- Promote sign-ups for mobile devices. Make this an easily identifiable link on your preparedness web page. Even if your initial calls don't hit unregistered citizens (those with cell phones only), your message may reach them "virally" from those who do receive it.

- Encourage notification recipients to help others prepare (particularly at-risk populations such as the elderly and special needs citizens).

While the option of sending mass notifications may not be available to all emergency managers due to funding or data licensing issues, many can take advantage of this useful communications tool to remind citizens of their own role in responding to critical events. The end result is a safer, more protected population, which seems to me is the primary goal of a notification system anyway.

Best regards,

Lorin

ENS and Protecting First Responders

Much has been said about the benefits of emergency notification for ensuring public safety. As Rick and I attend the Fire Rescue International Show in Chicago, however, it occurs to us how little has been said about the benefits of emergency notification for first responder safety. Here are a few thoughts on how ENS provides for a safer responder environment:

Reduced panic.
At times, we hear concerns from emergency managers that mass calling will incite panic among citizens making the situation worse while placing first responders in even greater danger. Though one can imagine certain limited scenarios where this might be the case, empirical research and years of practical system usage by agencies across the country do not support this fear. Instead, clear information provides some measure of comfort to citizens, reducing panic and irrational behavior while creating a safer environment for responders.

Reduced threats.
Danger criminal behavior may occur both during and after critical events such as a disaster. One of the interesting findings post-Katrina was looting and rioting (perhaps more limited in frequency than portrayed in the media) occurred with more frequency several days into the crisis; a key driving factor behind the behavior was uncertainty and a lack of communication on when conditions would change. While analogies aren't perfect here as notification systems did not have power or infrastructure to work immediately after this disaster, the principal nevertheless remains. Poor or no information can lead to erratic and dangerous citizen behavior placing first responders in greater harm.

Appropriate public response.
A study on the San Diego wildfires of 2007 (covered previously in our blog) examined the impact of emergency notification on citizen behavior. A key finding emerged: people who received an alert were more likely to follow evacuation instructions than those who did not. Citizens following these types of instructions create a safer environment for responders, particularly in diminishing problems with access and egress.

Intelligence & situational awareness.
A final way emergency notification technology provides safety for first responders is in the knowledge gained from citizens as a result of an alert. Many examples exist of responder agencies issuing alerts and citizens calling back to identify the whereabouts of a criminal or provide other useful information. As knowledge is power, such intelligence allows for a better prepared response and a less risky operation (at least to some degree).


While ENS is clearly a significant tool for protecting local citizens, it is also a tool for protecting the protectors. With an effective notification program, everyone wins.

Best regards,

Lorin


Galain Solutions, Inc. helps public safety agencies develop effective emergency notification programs. For more information, email: info@galainsolutions.com.

How Will Social Media be Utilized in a Crisis?

How will citizens utilize social media in a crisis? The answers may surprise you.

While many view Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites simply as hobbies for "wired" young people, evidence is surfacing showing how social networks are becoming important tools and considerations for both citizens and responders during a crisis situation.

Douglas Idugboe makes this point in a blog post covering social media trends. He highlights a study just released by the American Red Cross entitled "Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies." The findings were released ahead of Thursday's Emergency Social Data Summit in Washington, D.C.

The online survey of just over 1000 Americans 18 years and older examined a representative sample of the U.S. population. Findings from the study include:

• One in six have used social media to get information about an emergency
• About half of respondents would sign up for emails, text alerts, or applications to receive emergency information such as location of food, evacuation routes, etc. (presumably during an event as we know sign up rates are not that high typically)
• About half say they would mention an emergency through their own social media channels
• Just over half say they would send a text message to an available response agency if someone they knew needed help (implications for the NG9-1-1 discussion)
• During an emergency, almost half would use social media to let loved ones know they are safe. The vast majority (86%) of these would use Facebook to accomplish this.
• Almost 70% say response agencies should regularly monitor their sites and respond to postings for help

As expected, younger people are more likely to request help from social media or text messaging. Only 39 percent of people over the age of 35 say they would ask other people on networks such as Facebook to help them get assistance, whereas 55 percent of people aged 18 to 34 say they would. However, in some areas, older and younger apparently agree. 18% say they would use digital media to ask for help in an emergency if they could not reach 9-1-1.

Though online behaviors in response to public warnings were not examined specifically in this study, we can nevertheless imagine how social media plays a role. Clearly, citizens expect to use these information channels to validate and enhance their knowledge of a situation. And, an increasing number expect to be able to interact with responders through them. Though still in its early stages, social media should be a growing consideration for emergency managers across the country.

Best regards,

Lorin


Galain Solutions, Inc. helps public safety agencies develop effective emergency notification programs. For more information, email: info@galainsolutions.com.

OASIS Announces Approval of Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) 1.2

The OASIS open standards consortium announced today they have officially approved the Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL) Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) version 1.2. CAP 1.2 is now an official OASIS standard.

EDXL-CAP is a standard protocol for structuring an alert message, enabling various types of warning systems to issue the same message simultaneously. It is designed to work with a wide variety of alerting media, including broadcast, mobile devices, email, etc. It is also an integral technology standard within FEMA's IPAWS program. The new release offers support for digital signatures, enhancing message security and authentication.

According to the press release, CAP will be featured in the OASIS demo booth at the IAEM show, October 28 - November 4 in San Antonio.

Best regards,

Lorin

Are Sirens Really Worth the Investment?

The Wall Street Journal recently featured an article on the public warning siren system in San Francisco. It seems the city has 104 sirens in the area and has invested approximately $500,000 over the last two years to expand the network. The problem, according to the author, is in the six decades these sirens have been in place, they have never been used for warning the public.

The article raises questions many emergency mangers face as they evaluate what to implement with regards to public warning systems. No one in public safety wants to waste taxpayer dollars, yet the public expects to be protected in a crisis. What is a conscientious emergency manager to do?

We don't have all the answers, but here are a few thoughts that come to mind after reading the article.

We must prepare for events that may not happen. Emergency managers are trained to deal with and prepare for the unthinkable. You've all received training and developed contingency plans you hope will never actually be needed. Sure the public may have a hard time understanding why money is spent on systems that have not been used in decades. However, under the right circumstances these sirens could save lives and property. The public certainly expects every effort will be made to protect them in a crisis, and systems like this may help achieve this goal.

"Contextual" alerts may work best for methods such as sirens. The challenge of traditional sirens is no content on the nature of the alert is conveyed during an alert. Loud tones do not convey anything specifically and it is easy for the public to ignore the warnings (in San Francisco's case, the sirens actually function as a public address system, though this is frequently not the case across the country). According to the article:

"When a siren goes off, instead of panicking or seeking out more information most people tend to behave with indifference and assume that the siren went off at the wrong time," says Dennis Mileti, director emeritus of the Natural Hazards Center at Colorado State University."

I haven't seen the research on this, but I suspect sirens dedicated to a specific type of alert (contextual alert) will be more effective than a generic "all hazards" alert. In our part of the country, for example, tornadoes are fairly frequent weather events. Our town has sirens in place activated when a tornado warning is issued. People are aware of these and know to tune to media when they go off (unless it's a beautiful sunny day when they're testing them). These are known locally as "tornado sirens" and are taken rather seriously. If these sirens were not tied to this specific emergency situation, I believe their effectiveness would be diminished.

No one notification method works universally. Every form of public notification has its unique strengths and weaknesses. No single method will reach everyone. As such, emergency managers need to deploy multiple methods and systems for alerting the public. In San Francisco's case, they have mobile device alerting, they interact with the media, and the sirens are not simply tone-alerts, but also double as public address systems. Some are appropriate for almost daily use, others will be reserved only for the most dire circumstances. Good notification programs include a variety of methods to insure as wide a coverage as possible.


The article on San Francisco's sirens highlights a clear challenge of balancing investment versus preparation. What are your thoughts and experiences dealing with sirens and trade-offs between investments in the various alerting options? We'd love to hear from you.

Best regards,

Lorin


Galain Solutions, Inc. provides consulting services for public safety agencies selecting and implementing emergency notification systems. For more information, email: info@galainsolutions.com.

Emergency Notification AFTER the Emergency

A short, but insightful online comment by a New England resident serves as a good reminder for emergency managers to use ENS both during and after a crisis.

Two weeks ago, a county's water department issued a boil water notice due to elevated levels of e-coli discovered in one of the ground water sources. A boil water notice was issued and a public alert was launched through the county's emergency notification system.

After several days, water samples revealed no presence of e-coli and the boil water notice was rescinded. However, it appears the county did not launch an automated callout to notify citizens the event was over (at least according to one citizen's comments). While the county certainly did nothing wrong in general, the story highlights a best practice in alerting: post-event notifications.

As a critical event emerges and people face imminent danger, launching a notification is an obvious decision. However, as the danger passes and other emergency management duties take over, the urgency of sending alerts after the event may mistakenly diminish.

While there are plenty of other valid channels for issuing post-event information (press releases, media, web page, etc.), we believe the means used for informing the public initially creates expectations for how emergency managers will communicate throughout a given situation. Thus, residents who receive an automated telephone call warning them of potential danger also expect to receive through the system periodic updates and an "all clear" signal when it's over.

ENS is really about communicating and not just warning. Keep this in mind, and your citizens will thank you from beginning to end.

Best regards,

Lorin


Galain Solutions, Inc. provides consulting services for public safety agencies selecting and implementing emergency notification systems. For more information, email: info@galainsolutions.com.

The Death of Telephone Notifications?

Recently, Rick and I had a conversation with an emergency manager who, though not responsible for public alerting, had some strong opinions about it. Primarily, he believed the days of telephone call notifications were gone--that SMS or email was the only real viable means of alerting people in a crisis at this point. His main concerned stemmed from capacity--the ability to make a large number of calls quickly. Further, he had been burned by vendors who overstated their actual call handling capabilities (and the capacity of local phone switches) causing him to conclude this method was fundamentally flawed.

While we understand his overall frustrations and greatly respect his perspective, we do not believe telephone notifications have gone the way of the dinosaur. Here are a few reasons why we believe new methods and technologies are not yet ready to place the telephone call:

Large segments of the population still do not use SMS or email.
The market penetration of SMS and email is high and continues to grow. However, large groups of people still do not rely on these technologies with regularity. Managing a notification program with no method for reaching land line telephones will bypass a significant portion of local citizens.

Geographic targeting is often desired.
Most critical situations have a geographic element to them, and generally, emergency managers need to deliver specific alerts to targeted areas. As email and SMS data are not tied to geography, targeting alerts is impossible (unless a citizen has signed up for the alert and/or downloaded a mobile application). The exception is cellular broadcast technology which will help mitigate this problem but is not currently available on a widespread basis in the U.S. (more on this in the future).

SMS and email have capacity issues as well.
Though vendor and local telephone switch capacities should be a concern, we should not lull ourselves into thinking network limitations do not exist for digital messages (or cellular messages for that matter). Research conducted by Dr. Patrick Traynor at the Georgia Institute of Technology a couple of years ago illustrates this well, as do our own conversations with cellular carriers who have expressed deep concerns about SMS/email capacity limitations.

The human voice element can be important.
In research conducted by behavioral scientists, voice alerts have been shown to produce greater compliance than textual alerts alone (actually the greatest compliance comes from presenting both textual and voice alerts). This potentially illustrates the benefit of receiving information in an audible form from a human voice (or at least one that sounds human in the case of text-to-speech).

In all, we believe there is no one right answer for alerting the public. A successful notification program must encompass a variety of methods and devices to ensure alerts get through. Further, the impact of any method on the local communications infrastructure should be considered before a widespread notification is issued.

What do you think? Can we forget about telephone notifications and move to other technologies altogether? We'd love to hear from you. Oh, and you can use the telephone to call us if you'd like. We'll still answer it.

Best regards,

Lorin

New Jersey State Police Will Procure New Statewide EAS

According to the New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA), the New Jersey State Police has agreed to proceed with the procurement of technology for replacing the aging emergency alert system across the state. Old analog hardware will be replaced with new, redundant digital equipment.

As discussed in our previous post, this move comes ahead of an upcoming nationwide push by the FCC and FEMA to replace antiquated EAS hardware currently managed by radio and television broadcast stations with fully digital equipment.

EAS is first and foremost a method for issuing Presidential alerts in the event of a national emergency. However, these systems can also be accessed by Governors or authorized local public safety agencies in the event of eminent threats or AMBER alerts.

Though the mandate for making the switch has yet to be issued, broadcasters across the country have expressed concern with the cost implications and proposed timetables (the broadcasters will be required to bear the cost as a requirement for maintaining an FCC license unless other funding sources arise). It appears as if New Jersey has taken the lead in figuring out how to get funding to support the stations' efforts.

NJBA President Paul Rotella said, “We are particularly gratified by the very earnest work of our dedicated law enforcement community, including our State Police, Office of Emergency Management and the Governor’s office and legislature in recognizing this urgent public safety need in our state”.

All the best,

Lorin

Should ENS be Used Only in Emergencies?

Should "emergency" notification systems be used only in actual emergencies?

It appears there are differing opinions on this issue among ENS managers across the country. In a recent nationwide study we conducted of more than 400 notification system decision-makers, 58% said they use their systems for "emergency situations only" while 42% said they use it for "emergency, urgent, and non-emergency situations equally." Clearly, two camps exist with regards to appropriate ENS usage.

For those in the "emergency only" camp, there is often a fear by managers that frequent use will desensitize citizens to alerts. If the public receives regular, routine messages through the notification system, according to the theory, people may ignore alerts when a real crisis exists. Also, the E911 data used to populate these systems may not legally be applicable for non-emergency situations--another possible factor.

For those in the "emergency and non-emergency" camp, there is a belief that more liberal use provides citizens with greater familiarity and deeper comfort in interacting with the system. It also serves as a highly visible connection point between citizens and first responder agencies, creating a sense of community involvement and trust.

I suppose we lean toward the latter camp. In all our years of involvement in ENS, the most memorable and innovative notification programs tended toward a greater frequency of use. In these agencies, systems and procedures are exercised regularly and users are often better trained. This leads to greater confidence and fewer mistakes. Further, citizens appreciate the system, feeling local public safety agencies are proactive and "on the ball."

There is one caveat here, however. As a citizen, I don't mind receiving frequent communications as long as the information is highly relevant to me. Flooding me with frivolous or poorly targeted information will annoy and frustrate me (I don't really want to hear about the citizen watch meeting being held in a community on the other side of the county). So, even though we support using ENS for non-emergency purposes, we recommend these alerts be well targeted and highly relevant.

What do you think? We'd love to hear from you on this topic no matter your philosophical leanings.

All the best,

Lorin


For a copy of a white paper highlighting results from this study funded by Blackboard Connect, click here.

Doing it Right: Engaging Citizens in a Notification Program

For ENS managers across the country, one of the biggest challenges is convincing local citizens to actively engage in the alerts and warnings program. In many cases, the notification data itself is dependent on citizen input making stimulating awareness (and action) even more important.

AlertSCC: A Great Example

One of the best examples we've seen of a local government promoting its notification program is in Santa Clara County, California. It is currently implementing a comprehensive marketing plan to educate citizens on its "AlertSCC" program. The ultimate goal is to encourage the public to register for notifications through its online portal.

The county is deploying local television, radio, and print ads to spread the word. Produced by Oakland, CA-based communications firm CirclePoint, these ads are not your typical boring PSAs, but are instead produced with humor and creativity to attract and motivate audiences. The campaign shuns a direct "fear-based" approach, instead tapping into personal relationships and everyday people with a slogan of "I love you, please sign up" according to Eddie Kurtz of CirclePoint.

In addition, the County is working on a soon-to-be-released viral campaign--a portal that allows individuals to upload their own pictures into these ads and send to friends and family. They are also managing a Facebook page with informational updates and links to these ads. Other methods are being deployed as well, including outreach efforts to specific community organizations within the county.

See the ads here on the AlertSCC Facebook page.

Funding for AlertSCC Campaign

Funding for this extensive campaign came from two sources according to Gwen Mitchell, Director of the Office of Public Affairs in Santa Clara county. The City of San Jose received a UASI grant for $250,000 that was applied to the effort, and the County matched this amount from its operating budget (total of $500,000).

Advice to ENS Managers

What advice would Gwen give to emergency managers regarding public outreach efforts?

First, don't ask them to do too much. "One thing our research showed, is even though people know it is important to take steps to prepare, they don’t do it. I think it is important they be given messages with which they can take immediate action. For instance, signing up for this only takes a few minutes. It’s a step they can take right now. I think that kind of messaging is effective, not a list of 20 things."

Second,use frequent, multiple means of getting the message out. "Communicate often, especially if they are in areas where there is potential for disaster."

Third, center the message on the audience and don't be afraid of creativity. "Target populations where they may not be able to receive the message through mainstream media. You have to be creative and really think about this issue in very broad ways to reach as many people as possible."


It is too early in the campaign to tell whether the time and resources applied here will generate the results Santa Clara County desires. However, we applaud the effort to pair investments in notification technology with investments in community education. The outcome is likely to be a safer more informed community.

All the best,

Lorin

Volunteer Mobilization--Thoughts from a Disaster Area

The extensive flooding last weekend in our area of Nashville, TN has been devastating in terms of life and property. Weekend storms dumped an unprecedented thirteen inches of rain in just 48 hours. Nineteen deaths have been reported from the storm so far in Tennessee. Untold millions of dollars in property damage has accrued (most involving people with no flood insurance as they were not in a historical flood plain). On the plus side, emergency managers, first responders, utility workers, political leaders and others have been highly praised for their heroic efforts and untiring service in the response and recovery process.

Another group has also emerged during this crisis that we believe deserves praise and consideration--citizen volunteers. As we've been involved in our hometown's cleanup efforts, we've been humbled and amazed at the turnout of ordinary people helping fellow neighbors in difficult times. We've also seen trained volunteers, people who serve on various public safety organizations and committees, rise to the occasion as key support to the professional responders.
How does this relate to alerts and warnings?

Many times, we think of notification technology as strictly a tool for disseminating information to a large group of citizens in harm's way (evacuations, boil water notices, etc.). This is certainly a fantastic use of the tool. However, we should not forget the technology is also valuable for MOBILIZING citizens, potentially key partners in any large-scale response effort.

LAFD as an Example
Ron Corona, of the Los Angeles Fire Department, agrees. He says LAFD stands ready to use their notification system for calling up any number of volunteer groups. One set of groups is the city's Crisis Response Teams. These teams include a wide variety of professionals who have unique skills needed in a crisis (grief counselors, medical practitioners, construction/demolition experts, etc.). They also use the system to bring together their Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)--civilians trained in disciplines such as urban search and rescue, mass casualties, etc.

Even in non-critical, planned events such as festivals and concerts, the system is used for locating people with needed skills not necessarily on the government payroll.

How They Work
In general, these systems allow you to capture volunteer contact information (multiple devices) and collect customizable information on skill sets (training certifications, competencies, etc.). Through proper querying, you can select appropriate team members to fit the circumstance on the fly, or, have the teams pre-built for quick activation.

Some systems have the ability to ask questions such as, "Can you respond?" and "What is your ETA?" allowing for feedback through the telephone touch-tone keypad, or through email or SMS. All of this activity is captured in a database for real-time or after-the-fact reporting.

Notification technology is certainly a useful means for alerting citizens in danger (perhaps the first thing to come to mind when considering these systems). However, it can also be a valuable tool for mobilizing citizens--a powerfully positive force during disasters such as the one experienced across the Southeast this week.

Here's a personal "thank you" to the many dedicated emergency personnel who have helped during this tragedy. Also, here's a big shout out to the average men and women who have shown what it means to be real "citizens."

All the best,

Lorin

Volunteer Mobilization--Thoughts from a Disaster Area

The extensive flooding last weekend in our area of Nashville, TN has been devastating in terms of life and property. Weekend storms dumped an unprecedented thirteen inches of rain in just 48 hours. Nineteen deaths have been reported from the storm so far in Tennessee. Untold millions of dollars in property damage has accrued (most involving people with no flood insurance as they were not in a historical flood plain). On the plus side, emergency managers, first responders, utility workers, political leaders and others have been highly praised for their heroic efforts and untiring service in the response and recovery process.

Another group has also emerged during this crisis that we believe deserves praise and consideration--citizen volunteers. As we've been involved in our hometown's cleanup efforts, we've been humbled and amazed at the turnout of ordinary people helping fellow neighbors in difficult times. We've also seen trained volunteers, people who serve on various public safety organizations and committees, rise to the occasion as key support to the professional responders.
How does this relate to alerts and warnings?

Many times, we think of notification technology as strictly a tool for disseminating information to a large group of citizens in harm's way (evacuations, boil water notices, etc.). This is certainly a fantastic use of the tool. However, we should not forget the technology is also valuable for MOBILIZING citizens, potentially key partners in any large-scale response effort.

LAFD as an Example
Ron Corona, of the Los Angeles Fire Department, agrees. He says LAFD stands ready to use their notification system for calling up any number of volunteer groups. One set of groups is the city's Crisis Response Teams. These teams include a wide variety of professionals who have unique skills needed in a crisis (grief counselors, medical practitioners, construction/demolition experts, etc.). They also use the system to bring together their Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)--civilians trained in disciplines such as urban search and rescue, mass casualties, etc.

Even in non-critical, planned events such as festivals and concerts, the system is used for locating people with needed skills not necessarily on the government payroll.

How They Work
In general, these systems allow you to capture volunteer contact information (multiple devices) and collect customizable information on skill sets (training certifications, competencies, etc.). Through proper querying, you can select appropriate team members to fit the circumstance on the fly, or, have the teams pre-built for quick activation.

Some systems have the ability to ask questions such as, "Can you respond?" and "What is your ETA?" allowing for feedback through the telephone touch-tone keypad, or through email or SMS. All of this activity is captured in a database for real-time or after-the-fact reporting.

Notification technology is certainly a useful means for alerting citizens in danger (perhaps the first thing to come to mind when considering these systems). However, it can also be a valuable tool for mobilizing citizens--a powerfully positive force during disasters such as the one experienced across the Southeast this week.

Here's a personal "thank you" to the many dedicated emergency personnel who have helped during this tragedy. Also, here's a big shout out to the average men and women who have shown what it means to be real "citizens."

All the best,

Lorin

FCC Seeks Public Comment on CAP's Effect on EAS Rules

The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) has announced it is seeking public comment on what changes might be required to the Commission's Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules caused by the introduction of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). The bureau also wants to know what impact the deployment of FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) might have on EAS policies.

In July of 2007, the Commission mandated that all EAS participants must accept CAP-based alerts 180 days after FEMA publishes the adopted CAP technical standards. FEMA recently indicated this adoption will likely occur in the third quarter of 2010, triggering the 180-day requirement.

In addition to comments regarding immediate effects, the PSHSB is asking commenters to identify rule changes that could also "advance or facilitate introduction of a CAP-based Next Generation EAS architecture." The bureau hopes to minimize future rule changes, or at least provide enough flexibility within the rules to allow for yet-defined technological innovations.

Finally, PSHSB is seeking comment on the required rule changes to ensure people with disabilities and non-English speaking individuals have access to a CAP-based EAS.

Comments from the public are due on or before May 17, 2010 and reply comments are due on or before June 14, 2010.

All the best,

Lorin

Next-Generation Emergency Alert System a Topic for National Association of Broadcasters Show

The 2010 National Association of Broadcasters show will be held next week in Las Vegas. On Wednesday, April 14, a session will be held entitled “Putting the Final Touches on Next-Generation EAS.”

Following a panel-discussion format, the session is designed to clarify the current role that broadcasters play in Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) and explore if/how station responsibilities will change as the next generation of EAS is implemented.

The session will begin with remarks by Damon Penn, Assistant Administrator of the National Continuity Programs (NCP) for FEMA, and Rear Admiral James Barnett (Ret.), Chief of the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.

Panelists for the session include Antwane Johnson, FEMA Division Director--IPAWS; Suzanne Goucher, president and CEO, Maine Association of Broadcasters; Thomas Beers, Chief, FCC Policy Division, and Wade Witmer, FEMA Deputy Director--IPAWS.

Even though emergency managers and broadcasters don't cross paths often, we believe it is important for these groups to be aware of each others' respective efforts surrounding public notification. As new trends and technologies emerge, we'll clearly see more overlap here, along with a greater need for coordination and communication.

All the best,

Lorin

To receive a comprehensive Galain Solutions white paper: "Notifications Alerts & Warnings, The Next Generation," email us your request at resources@galainsolutions.com.

Galain Solutions, Inc.
www.galainsolutions.com

EAS Summit Connects Feds and Broadcasters on Issues of Public Warning

The 6th Annual 2010 Emergency Alert System Summit, funded by the National Association of Broadcasters, was held March 1 in Washington, D.C. In attendance were more than 175 emergency managers, broadcasters, cable operators and state broadcasters association representatives from 44 states and territories, according to a comprehensive article on www.radiomagonline.com.

The yearly Summit is designed to connect broadcasters and the Federal government on issues surrounding public alerting in times of crisis. The Summit generated significant interest this year, as a great deal of new attention is being placed on the nation's alerting infrastructure and the broadcasters' associated role.

Some of the highlights include:

- Discussion on a recent bill passed in Nevada naming broadcasters as first responders with priority for food, water, and fuel during a disaster. Broadcasters support this concept. Though broadcasters provide assurances their motivation is strictly centered on the priority receipt of staple items, others feel it might open the door for broadcasters to apply for public safety money.

-FEMA's intended target date to adopt CAP (and start the clock rolling on a 180-day deadline for broadcasters' equipment to comply) is currently August/September 2010. However, FEMA stated that the delay in OASIS's adoption of CAP v1.2 as an international standard until the end of May 2010 will likely push FEMA's deadline until Q4 of 2010.

-FEMA's Geo-Targeted Alerting System (GTAS) application was introduced. See our previous post here.

-Five new Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations (stations with dedicated power circuits connected to emergency command centers) will be added this year to the existing 41. FEMA is committed to having a total of 74 PEP stations with coverage of 90 percent of the U.S. population by the end of 2011.

-The National Weather Service (NWS) said its CAP alert website will be in full production within the next two months. Also, the Weather Radio Improvement Program (WRIP), slated to be completed in two years, will offer CAP message input into NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) systems.

In all, feedback suggests the Summit was helpful and well-received by all audiences. The broadcast community is certainly a critical player in warning the public, and its great to see effective communication among the key stakeholders.

All the best,

Lorin


To receive a comprehensive Galain Solutions white paper: "Notifications Alerts & Warnings, The Next Generation," email us your request at resources@galainsolutions.com.

Galain Solutions, Inc.
www.galainsolutions.com