[EAS] CMAS, CAP and EAS

[Ed Czarnecki]

Adrienne - Short answer is, no, any governmental entity wishing to introduce
messaging into IPAWS will need to obtain some kind of CAP originator.

As outlined in FEMA's "State Toolkit", a local authority will need to follow
the four steps described below.  This is taken from FEMA's "State Toolkit
for Adopting IPAWS" (edited down to the basic points).  If anyone wants a
copy, let me know and I can send you a pdf.

Become Authorized IPAWS Users
Any qualifying public safety organization, recognized by appropriate state,
tribal, or territorial authorities may apply for authorization to use IPAWS
to send alerts to the public. Additionally, public safety organizations not
needing alerting authority may also apply to use IPAWS to exchange alert
information with other users compatible with the Common Alerting Protocol.
Each organization that becomes an IPAWS user is designated as a
Collaborative Operating Group or "COG." Each COG administers individual
member accounts through its software.

Step #1 - Select IPAWS compatible software
Access to IPAWS is free; however to send a message using IPAWS, an
organization must procure its own IPAWS compatible software. ...

Step #2 - Apply for a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with FEMA
To request to become a COG, an MOA governing system security must be
executed between the sponsoring organization and FEMA. Each MOA is
specifically tailored to the sponsoring organization and interoperable
software system.... 

Step #3 - Apply for public alerting permissions
State and local alerting authorities that want to send alerts to the public
through IPAWS must complete an application defining the types of alerts they
intend to issue and the extent of their geographic warning area. ...  In
order to ensure consistency with appropriate state, territorial or tribal
public alerting
plans, the application must be reviewed and signed by a designated state or
appropriate official before it is submitted to FEMA.

Step #4 - Complete IPAWS web-based training FEMA's Emergency Management
Institute (EMI) offers the independent study course, IS-247 "Integrated
Public Alert and Warning System." The course is online at:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is247.asp

-----Original Message-----
From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On
Behalf Of Adrienne Abbott

Ed--
If state (or local) emergency officials don't have the ability to send CAP
messages, is there any way they can access CMAS? Would it be correct to say
that not all CMAS messages are EAS messages but all EAS messages are also
CMAS messages?

Emergency managers love the idea of sending warning messages directly to
people's cell phones. It seems to me that CMAS and the ability to geo-target
emergency messages to a specific area is the best argument anyone can make
to convince emergency managers to get CAP-equipped.

Adrienne Abbott
Nevada EAS Chair
"Radio burps, it cries, it needs to be fed all the time, it requires
constant attention, but we love it." Jim Aaron WGLN 

-----Original Message-----
From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On
Behalf Of Ed Czarnecki Emergency Messages

CMAS/WEA is on a separate channel from voice and data.  Also, it is cell
broadcast (multicast) to enabled handsets.

Only a certain class of alerts are eligible to make it from the IPAWS
aggregator through the wireless carrier gateways - i.e. those EAS events
representing imminent threat to life and property.  Further the alerts must
be originated by accredited emergency management authorities in the CAP data
format, tag with the highest levels of urgency, severity and certainty (CAP
message elements).

So the intent is for the alerts to be geo targeted, high priority, and not
susceptible to network traffic.

Edward Czarnecki, PhD
Senior Director - Strategy,  Development & Regulatory Affairs Monroe
Electronics / Digital Alert Systems

-----Original message-----
>From:Tom Taggart <tpt at literock93r.com>

>Dumb question: Capacity?

>What happens to the system when it tries to simultaneously reach a 
>large number of cellphones to deliver this emergency message?

>I'll still loose AT&T service in downtown Columbus just because 
>everyone is on their I-Phone at the same time.

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