About
Connect with AWARE
Touchstone Consulting Group - An SRA Company
News
Mexico's New Seismic Alert System
Yesterday, The Economist published a story online about a new BlackBerry app just launched in Mexico City that gives citizens advance warning of earthquakes, usually providing people a minute or more to seek shelter. Mexico City experiences earthquakes throughout the year, most of which originate on the countries Western coastline. A version of this system recently alerted a session of Mexico’s Senate of impending tremors, giving them time to evacuate the building. Continue reading »
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security last week passed by bipartisan vote a bill to authorize and modernize the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the overarching federal system for integrating various alert and warning components. Continue reading »
The National EAS test and recent CMAS testing have brought the spotlight on the FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program from the public and Congress alike. On December 6, 2011, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) introduced H.R. 3563, the Integrated Public Alert Warning System Modernization Act of 2011. Also, recent statements from Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) indicate her plans to introduce legislation in the Senate soon.
While the path to enacting legislation is not yet certain and the exact language is by no means written in stone, this activity draws attention to the need for the IPAWS program to be formally authorized. Continue reading »
We’ve recently deployed a few small upgrades to the AWARE website that we wanted our readers to be aware of (pun intended). These changes are not significant, but they should hopefully improve your experience while you’re reading articles, looking for information, and connecting our content with the outside world. We want to know how you like these new features, and what could use some improvement. Continue reading »
The past week has seen a number of devastating tornadoes cause widespread destruction across the Midwestern and Southern U.S. The storms between February 29 and March 5 have claimed the lives of at least 50 people and caused massive loss of property. The tornadoes were many and widespread: the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center received 81 reports of tornadoes on Friday, March 2–just shy of the average number of tornadoes the nation sees in the entire month of March (87).
As cleanup efforts continue, much of the discussion around these storms has turned to the alert and warning systems in the various areas stricken: how well did they work, how did they impact the public’s actions, and what could be improved next time. Of course, the effectiveness of these systems will vary from county to county, and the final analysis is not yet in in many places. But there are a few interesting stories to note in how alerting systems performed during this punishing stretch. Continue reading »
