[EAS] IPAWS, DMIS, DM-OPEN and other letter combos...

[Richard_Rudman]

I thought it would be useful to remind us all about what NOAA released on DMIS and DM-OPEN on March 17. While this directly concerns people in different professions from most of us, it is helpful to know a bit about how all the pieces of IPAWS are supposed to fit together. For those interested, I culled the information from:

http://grandpaham.com/gpDM_OPEN.html

and....

http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/aggregator.shtm

FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program announced on March 9, 2011: 

o The IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN) will supersede DM-OPEN, scheduled for decommissioning June 30, 2011.

o The Disaster Management Interoperability Services (DMIS) Toolset system will be retired on June 30, 2011.

o Software currently connecting to the legacy DM-OPEN* application must migrated to IPAWS-OPEN** 2.0 by June 30, 2011.

o The decision to cancel the release of the Framework incident management support tools originally planned to replace the DMIS Tools.

Impacts of the above announcement on HazCollect users:

o If you rely solely on DMIS Tools to originate a Non-Weather Emergency Message (NWEM) for relay through HazCollect, you will need to install a replacement CAP Alert authoring tool by June 30, 2011, to maintain continuous NWEM authoring capability.

o FEMA's investigation for a new CAP alert authoring tool is ongoing. There may be a free or low-cost vendor alternative to the departing DMIS Tools and the canceled DM Framework tools.

o IPAWS-OPEN** will continue the CAP message aggregator and distribution function that DM-OPEN* performed.
o The HazCollect service will continue to function.

o The uncertainty at this time is what EMAs will use as a CAP alert authoring tool if a free/low cost authoring tool is not implemented before June 30 and you do not have a CAP alert authoring tool within other existing alerting, consequence or incident management software/system.

HazCollect Service Status

o HazCollect service is operational and available nationally.

o See the "For Government" information on this website for detail of the two required registrations:

o Disaster Management Interoperability Services (DMIS) registration to obtain your Collaborative Operations Group (COG) identity.

o HazCollect registration to obtain approval to use HazCollect your area of responsibility.

* DM-OPEN is a non-proprietary operational interoperability backbone that acts as a "level playing field" to allow disparate third-party applications, systems, networks and devices to share information in a non- proprietary, open, standards based format. As Federal infrastructure, DM-OPEN is designed to support the delivery of real-time data and situational awareness to public emergency responders in the field, at operation centers and across all levels of response management. DM-OPEN serves as test bed to facilitate the development of open non- proprietary standards to support interoperable information sharing for the emergency responder community.

** IPAWS-OPEN 2.0 Web Services: In addition to providing IPAWS Aggregator Services for the purpose of public alerting, OPEN 2.0 will continue to support the NWS HazCollect system, which relays Non-weather Emergency Messages (NWEMs) from authorized alert originators to the public through the NWS family of dissemination services, including NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) and rebroadcast by Emergency Alert System participants. IPAWS-OPEN 2.0 also enables the exchange of standards-compliant emergency messaging between public agencies, to enhance situational awareness and interagency coordination.  The same CAP message service used for public alerting may be used for non-pubic, interagency alerting between CAP-compliant systems.  In addition, OPEN supports the OASIS Emergency Data Exchange Language Distribution Element (EDXL-DE) standard for routing of other emergency-related content and provides Web services for basic administrative functions.