[EAS] Ping 4 ?

[Bill Ruck]

Another elaborate system outside of CAP / IPAWS / EAS.

Massachusetts official: We missed the brunt of Sandy, but we were ready

Nov. 5, 2012 Glenn Bischoff | Urgent Communications

When the state of Massachusetts implemented an 
emergency alert system developed by Ping4Alerts 
last month, little did officials know that they 
would be facing one of the worst natural 
disasters in U.S. history just a few weeks later. 
But even though the system ­ designed to push 
public-safety and health alerts to the public via 
a smartphone application ­ was used minimally 
during the crisis, it was comforting to know that 
it was there, said Peter Judge, the public 
information officer for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

"Unlike the stuff that you saw happening in New 
Jersey, New York and Connecticut, we really 
didn't have that level of trouble," Judge said. 
"Statewide, we only ended up with 165 people in 
shelters. You wouldn't have believed how we 
missed this bullet ­ [the storm] surrounded us. 
Fortunately, we didn't get whacked like our sister states did."

The system was used to push out weather alerts 
and an Amber Alert as the so-called Superstorm 
Sandy approached the commonwealth, but it really 
is intended to be used only in life-threatening 
circumstances, according to Judge. The theory is 
that using the system often and for more mundane 
purposes eventually will result in a "boy who cried wolf" scenario.

"When this thing goes off, we want them to know 
that there's something incredibly serious [happening]," Judge said.

The Ping4Alerts solution uses proprietary 
technology to enable government entities to 
pinpoint the location of cellular phones, 
according to Jim Bender, CEO of the Nashua, N.H.-based company.

"It involves cell-tower triangulation, it 
involves accessing local Wi-Fi, if it's 
available, and it also very economically uses 
GPS," Bender said. "If we detect that a cell 
phone is not in movement for some period of time, 
we start dialing back the GPS, so it's extremely efficient on your battery."

There are no privacy concerns, because the entity 
that is transmitting the alert knows nothing 
about the recipients, according to Bender.

"This is completely anonymous," he said. "A lot 
of people don't want local law enforcement to 
have information about them, because they have 
concerns about privacy and about their location 
being tracked. 
 With [this solution] you don't 
have to worry about whether Big Brother is watching."

Bender said his company's approach to emergency 
alerting is a big leap forward from traditional methods.

"Reverse 911 and text-messaging both assume that 
you know something about the person you are 
trying to communicate with," he said. "The 
beautiful thing about this is that you don't need 
to know a single thing about the person you're 
trying to communicate with ­ but if they happen 
to be in the affected area, they're going to get the communication."

This is especially advantageous in areas that get 
a heavy amount of tourist activity, Bender said. 
He told of a recent visit the company received 
from the emergency management coordinator for 
Martha's Vineyard, Mass. The visitor explained 
that the island's year-round population of about 
17,000 swells to more than 100,000 every summer 
weekend, with the vast majority of the insurgents 
being non-residents. Complicating matters is that 
it's generally not the same 100,000 people from 
one weekend to the next. The visitor said that he 
needed a way to communicate with everyone on the 
island ­ resident or not ­ in times of emergency.

"Ping4 is ideal, because there simply is no other 
way to gather appropriate information about all 
these people where you need immediate, real-time alerts," Bender said.

Another key feature is the platform's geo-fencing 
capability. Multiple geo-fences can be drawn 
around an emergency incident, and a different 
message can be transmitted to each area. For 
instance, if an 18-wheeler carrying a hazardous 
material jackknifes on the Massachusetts 
turnpike, a geo-fence could be drawn around the 
immediate area; motorists nearby could be alerted 
to the situation and given instructions about 
what to do next. Meanwhile, a second geo-fence 
could be drawn to create a larger perimeter. 
Motorists who enter it could receive alerts 
telling them to avoid the accident area and what 
alternate routes they should take.

"It's a way to prevent a catastrophe from 
becoming a bigger catastrophe, or to mitigate the damage," Bender said.

Of course, the solution only will be effective if 
people download the application. About 10,000 
people did so within the first 24 hours after 
MEMA's press conference to announce the 
initiative, which was carried by the four major 
TV networks in the region, as well as a cable 
news network and a Spanish-language station, in 
addition to print media, according to Bender. 
But, with more than 6 million people in the 
commonwealth, there still is a lot of outreach work to do.

"We're using a grassroots approach on this," 
MEMA's Judge said. "There are 351 communities in 
the commonwealth, and they each have their own 
emergency management director, who we interact 
with on a daily basis. We're working with them to 
promote it within their communities. 
 There's a 
lot of enthusiasm, so we expect that these 
numbers will continue to grow by leaps and bounds."