We intend this post to be a broad overview of CMAS — and the start of a discussion with CMAS stakeholders. Let us know what aspects of CMAS you want to learn more about by commenting here or telling us on twitter: @AWAREforum.

What is CMAS?

• CMAS is the mobile alerting component of the part of the larger Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which also includes the Emergency Alert System (EAS).
• CMAS will provide local, tribal, state, territorial, and Federal government officials the ability to send 90-character, geographically-targeted text alerts to the public.
• Wireless providers, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are critical partners in developing the CMAS alerting capability.
• Once this system is operational in April 2012, FEMA will own and operate CMAS as a component of IPAWS.
• CMAS is sometimes also referred to as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) or the Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN). (We previously posted about the naming issues surrounding CMAS.)

How Does CMAS Work?

• CMAS will use cell broadcast technology, which is distinct from many text-message alerting systems currently in operation. Cell broadcast simultaneously delivers messages to multiple recipients in a specified area using a broadcast from a cell tower — not unlike a radio. By using cell broadcast, CMAS avoids the congestion issues currently experienced by traditional SMS alerting services.
• There are three types of CMAS Alerts:
• Presidential Alerts: alerts issued by the President of the United States to all citizens
• Imminent Threat: alerts involving serious threats to life and property; most of these will probably be related to severe weather
• AMBER alerts: alerts regarding missing or abducted children
• Subscribers will be allowed to opt-out of the imminent threat and AMBER alerts. However, subscribers may not opt out of the Presidential Alerts.
• Alerts must be 90 characters long and may not contain any hyperlinks.
• According to current standards, CMAS alerts can be geo-targeted to the county level using the FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) code.
• There is no charge to consumers for the alerts.

How Do I send a CMAS  Send a Message?

In order for emergency managers to send CMAS alerts they must do the following:

• Acquire an IPAWS-compatible alert authoring software (see here for a list of providers on the FEMA website). This software must be CAP compliant. If you have alerting software already, you may want to contact your provider to find out if they are currently CAP compliant or if they have plans to become so.
• Apply for a Collaborative Operating Group, or “COG.” This is done by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with FEMA. For more information about signing up for a COG and signing an MOA see FEMA’s website here.
• Complete the EMI Independent Study “Effective Alert and Warning Messaging.” We understand the training takes about two hours. This training can be done at anytime.

We hope this gives you basic background on CMAS. We plan on posting subsequent articles diving deeper into some of the aspects of CMAS. So again, please let us know which topics you would like to learn more about.

AT&T

AT&T‘s website offers a guide to CMAS with several frequently asked questions.

Sprint

Sprint‘s website provides information about the overall CMAS system, as well as a link to the FEMA website.  Their list of WEA supported handsets is included (as of 1/4/2012):

• Sanyo Inuendo
• Sanyo Vero
• Sanyo Milano
• HTC EVO 3D
• Samsung Galaxy SII 4G Touch
• LG Marque
• Kyocera DuraMax
• Kyocera Duracore
• Kyocera Brio
• Samsung Trender
• HTC EVO Design 4G
• Samsung Transform Ultra

T-Mobile

T-Mobile‘s website also provides a series of questions and answers about the WEA system, and a list of supported devices (as of 1/4/2012):

• LG DoublePlay™
• T-Mobile® myTouch®
• T-Mobile® myTouch® Q
• T-Mobile® myTouch® 4G

As an added flourish, T-Mobile has included a “CMAS” feature checkbox on its phone shopping page, so customers can compare CMAS support alongside other features they might be interested in such as QWERTY keyboards or 4G.  Their website also includes the “Wireless Emergency Alert Capable” logo:

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless‘s website includes a lengthy list of frequently asked questions, as well as a specific list of handsets that support Wireless Emergency Alerts (as of 1/4/2012):

• Droid 2 Global by Motorola
• Droid Pro by Motorola
• Droid X2 by Motorola
• Motorola Citrus™
• LG Cosmos™ 2
• LG Revere™
• LG Enlighten™

Their website also includes the “WEA Capable” logo like the T-Mobile website, and further states that this logo will appear on “Devices capable of receiving Wireless Emergency Alerts”.

Wireless Emergency Alerts allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to accept and deliver warning messages to wireless networks from the president of the United States, the National Weather Service and state and local emergency operations centers. Sprint customers will be able to effectively and accurately receive warnings and safety information via text alerts to mobile phones that are equipped with the enabling software and based on their geographic location.

The announcement also mentions the upcoming testing of the CMAS system in New York City:

Later this year, Sprint will conduct the nation’s first test of Wireless Emergency Alerts in New York City, along with the New York City Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, and FEMA. The test will deliver a series of different geo-targeted wireless alerts to multiple Sprint mobile phones strategically located in Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.

Prior to this official announcement, Sprint had posted an FAQ page providing information on which handsets are currently CMAS-enabled (12 in total) and how customers can activate CMAS on their devices.

Other carriers have posted customer-focused information about CMAS ahead of the 2012 deployment date:

• Verizon has posted an extensive FAQ explaining CMAS. The carrier currently has seven CMAS-ready devices, which can receive alerts in New York City and Washington, D.C., and will be able to receive alerts in more locations next year.
• AT&T has also posted an FAQ, outlining the NYC and DC markets where CMAS is available (same as Verizon). According to the site, AT&T’s first CMAS-ready device is expected to come to market by the end of 2011.

Alerts (or lack thereof) on the beach

Our editor was spending time with her family on a beach in Chappaquiddick in fantastic weather—clear skies and 90 degrees. This beach is fairly remote—getting there involves a ferry, a drive down a bumpy dirt-and-sand road, and walking a few hundred yards to the beach. It is the exactly the place you want to be if you are trying to get away from it all. Likewise, it is well known that cell service in this area is spotty in some parts and non-existent in others. (Chappaquiddick is currently debating how to improve cell coverage on the island, which does not have a cell tower.)

While at the beach, our editor’s uncle tried calling her with news that a large storm was forming and heading toward the island. Marina officials were calling boats back to dock, and the National Weather Service and Coast Guard were advising people to take shelter. Fortunately, one of the calls from her uncle came through. Because the skies were still clear at the beach—and presumably because many beachgoers did not know of the storm—many patrons stayed. Shortly thereafter, a park ranger rode along the beach on an ATV to warn people about the storm, and, thankfully, our editor and her party were able to take shelter in their car.

Also a mobile alert - A park ranger alerts beachgoers of an impending storm

Many beachgoers took shelter only at the last minute as the storm arrived. Some had just arrived at the beach, apparently unaware of the impending storm, and promptly turned around to leave. Everyone was a little inconvenienced, but safe and unharmed nonetheless.

Cell coverage and the limitations of CMAS

Thankfully, our editor and her family were at a beach well patrolled by park rangers, and she was able to receive word about the storm from her family. But it was evident that many other beachgoers had received no information about the storm until the park ranger arrived. While such remoteness can be an aid to relaxation (“Phew! No cell service! The boss can’t reach me for the next couple of hours!”), it is also a serious challenge for alerting systems to address.

Scheduled for deployment in April 2012, CMAS will broadcast alerts over wireless networks using cell towers. While the benefits of this system are numerous, CMAS will have a hard time reaching under-served areas, like Chappaquiddick and many other areas that have poor cell coverage.

The challenges CMAS faces in alerting people in areas with poor cell coverage include:

1. Risks of loss of life or property. Most importantly, large portions of the public may not receive the alert, and therefore do not know to take action.
2. Public confusion. Uneven cell coverage can enable some customers receive the alert while others do not, leading customers to wonder why they didn’t receive the alert.
3. Lack of public awareness. Because CMAS alerts will likely look quite distinct from SMS alerts, people may not respond as intended. (This can also be a problem in areas that have good cell coverage.)

Even in areas that have reliable coverage, carrier opt-outs may pose a different challenge. Wireless carriers, particularly smaller regional operators, in certain areas may not opt into carrying CMAS alerts, which leaves some customers without the ability to receive emergency information.

How can we address these challenges?

AWARE would love to hear from emergency managers, smaller wireless carriers, and those who live in these communities.

• How are you dealing with, or are planning to deal with, underserved communities?
• What steps should be taken to make sure the public knows about CMAS in advance of an alert being issued?
• How can we minimize public confusion in response to CMAS alerts?

As part of a coordinated effort with Sprint and the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA), The County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services (OES) had a unique opportunity to become the first in the nation to test the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS, also known as the Personalized Local Alerting Network, or PLAN) on a large scale. During the October 2010 trial, over 50 imminent threat and AMBER alerts were generated. These alerts were received by 120 mobile phones preloaded with CMAS software. Our intent was to put PLAN through its paces by simulating large and small disasters ranging from earthquakes and tsunamis to hazardous materials spills.

While our technical partners, Sprint and Alcatel Lucent, were able to gain some knowledge about the mechanics and technical specifications of the implementation, the Office of Emergency Services concentrated on the message. We were able to experience, in part, what it was like to be a local alerting agency working with the PLAN network.

Testing the 90-character limit

One of the first standards we tested was the text message broadcast limit of 90 characters.  There had been discussions on whether this was enough space to develop an informative message. Our objective was to develop messages that would quickly describe the type of disaster, area affected, recommended action, and advice to monitor media for more information; all the while avoiding the inclusion of a web link.  While it was a challenge to script a 90 character alert, we were able to meet the minimum requirements.  Some examples of our trail alerts included:

Wild Fire in the Julian and Santa Ysabel area.
Evacuate now.
Monitor media for more info.

and

Toxic air quality near Mission Bay.
Remain indoors. Turn off AC. Monitor local news.

Overall, this was a success.

Character limits and AMBER Alerts

However when experimenting with AMBER Alerts, we quickly realized that we didn’t have enough space to provide sufficient descriptive information as recommended by the Department of Justice’s AMBER Alert Guidelines. A description of the physical characteristics of the child and suspect, along with the make and model of the vehicle being used followed by a contact number for the investigating jurisdiction’s law enforcement department was not realistic using 90 characters.

The good news is that through our conversation with FEMA, we have learned that PLAN messages for AMBER alerts will be created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  Because of their experience with AMBER alerts, they report that they will not have much of an issue with the 90 character limitation.

Public needs for more alert information

If the goal of PLAN is to alert and motivate people to seek further information, the trial proved that the 90 character limitation works fine, but it is not well suited as the sole information source for disaster notification messages. These messages would require more thorough descriptions of a disaster.

I am sure many of these issues that we have identified will be solved with training or with the next generations of the PLAN system.  We look forward to these advances and were honored to have a small part in the development of this important system.

In further detailing the test, it was reiterated that this first National EAS Test will not be testing CAP, the Common Alerting Protocol. However, future EAS-CAP tests were referred to. Significant time was spent outlining the lessons learned from the statewide national-code tests done in Alaska in 2010 and 2011. While the second test went better than the first, FEMA admitted it still has improvements to make in the audio quality and the “dead air” between the EAS codes and the audio announcement. In order to improve the quality, FEMA is in the testing and early deployment stages of satellite delivery of the EAS message to PEP stations. It was also stated that the announcement for the nationwide test will be pre-recorded, which is intended to cure the latter problem. 81% of broadcasters and cable operators ran the 2011 Alaska test, with most problems being station-specific not system wide.

Particular mention was made of the excellent cooperation of Alaska broadcasters, cable operators and state homeland security agencies in outreach and coordination for the test. FEMA and all Alaska groups coordinating the early tests agreed that outreach to broadcasters, cable operators, emergency managers and the public is very important and played a large part in the success of the Alaska tests. There will be a 2-month advance notice given before the first nationwide EAS test, and in that ensuing period FEMA and the FCC plan an extensive outreach effort. Bryan J. Fisher, Chief of Operations for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, was also a featured speaker on the webinar and he advised that state and local governments must work with broadcasters to conduct a statewide awareness campaign as well. He volunteered his time to any state wanting assistance in this area via conference call or other collaboration.

One of FEMA’s lessons learned is that broadcasters and cable operators need additional training and guidance on EAS device installation, configuration, monitoring, and operation. To that end, FEMA will work with FCC on improving the EAS Handbook as well as develop workshops, bulletins, industry blogs and best practices. In support of that mission, FEMA will be conducting workshops in its booth at the National Association of Broadcasters annual convention April 11-14 (barring a looming government shutdown). Among other Next Steps identified, FEMA stated they will be supporting the FCC on its forthcoming EAS-CAP rule changes, there was a clear pledge to increase training, and a commitment to an extensive public awareness campaign on the national EAS test.

For more information, visit the FEMA IPAWS Website: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/
Or email them at: ipaws@fema.gov

Testing on the new system begins in June 2011 and plans are in place to launch it soon after. Currently government agencies are still ironing out regulatory issues and there are of course concerns regarding the time it takes to issue an alert and the fact that some some people still do not use cell phones.

The sound of air raid sirens will become a thing of Israel’s past starting some time next year, to be replaced by mass text messages delivered to every cell phone in the probable target area.

The new system, developed by Israel’s Home Front Command and high tech start-up called e-Vigilo, and being deployed in conjunction with the country’s cellular operators, will alert users about incoming rockets in a matter of seconds, said Lt. Col. Levi Ittah, head of the project for Israel’s Home Front Command. It will offer faster and more pinpointed warnings than ever before, he said.

“The system’s potential is virtually limitless,” Ittah told The Media Line. “In the future, it could be used by police or emergency medical services. It could alert citizens about any kind of disaster, including earthquakes or other environmental catastrophes.”

Rockets have emerged as the key weapon for Israel’s most implacable foes – the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip and Hizbullah in Lebanon – neither of which can field conventional forces but aim to win future conflicts by threatening Israel’s civilian population with barrages.

Israel experienced a taste of conflicts to come when the Lebanese Shiite Hizbullah organization showered northern Israel with some 4,000 rockets during the month-long Lebanon War in 2006. On Tuesday, Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi warned that Israel may need to evacuate cities and towns in a future conflict with Hamas or Hizbullah. Some reports estimates that Hizbullah has built a stockpile of 40,000 rockets while Hamas has sought to upgrade its smaller arsenal with more powerful and longer-range missiles.

Employing technology called cell broadcast, which is already in use by Israel’s four mobile operators, the warning will be sent to clients in a given geographical area defined by local cell sites. Testing of the system is set to begin in June 2011 and it is expected to go into operational use several months later.

Ittah said cell phones will vibrate, flash and send a text message, possibly in several languages, immediately alerting users of the looming danger, ensuring that people don’t miss the message. Cell phone users will get an alert between 10 to 20 seconds from the time the warning is released by the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel’s Communications Ministry is working on the regulatory and legal aspects of the new innovation, Ittah said.

“This program is part of our vision of pinpointed warning,” Ittah added. “In the future, we hope to eliminate the country’s warning regions, which send out broad alerts, and focus on the exact area of danger.”

Ittah added that in the first operational stage the system will back-up the standard air-raid siren, but the plan is that it will eventually become the primary system in the future. Already about seven million of Israel’s 10 million registered cellular phones support the technology needed for the alert system.

To read the entire article please click here.

FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell was featured in a session at the NAB Radio Show in Washington, DC just hours after the FEMA announcement was made.  During this session, Commissioner McDowell said he would support extending the 180 days but can’t guarantee it.  He stated that it’s up to the FCC chairman’s office.  A manufacturer asked if he should start producing equipment.  He was told to ask the chairman’s office for clarification on when the 180 days actually starts, and everyone was told to direct their concerns to FCC.

Stay tuned to this space for further details as they become available.

Here is the official FEMA announcement and link to more detailed version.
Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:07:33 -0500 WASHINGTON,D.C.– The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the adoption of a new digital message format for the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the nation’s next generation emergency alert and warning network. The goal of IPAWS is to expand upon the traditional Emergency Alert System by allowing emergency management officials to reach as many people as possible over as many communications devices as possible, such as radio, television, mobile phones, personal computers and other communications devices. The current Emergency Alert System relies largely on radio and television to communicate to people.

Link to FEMA Announcement: FEMA Announces Adoption Of New Standard For Emergency Alerts

Elizabeth Trocki of Touchstone Consulting contributed reporting content to this article.

Maldives to get early warning alerts via SMS

02 September 2009

 

Facing increased threats triggered by climate change, Maldives will soon receive text based early warning alerts for disasters. Cell broadcasting, a technology will enable delivery of information to multiple users simultaneously in a specified area.

Texting short messages through mobile phones could help in early warning of natural disasters in the Maldives, says a new report.

The technology, called cell broadcasting, helps to deliver messages simultaneously to multiple users in a specified area.

In the case of the Maldives, if an early warning is introduced, it must be able to reach all of the outlying islands including tourists on resorts.

With mobile phones quite ubiquitous, it may be an ideal time to introduce an emerging technology — cell broadcasting — for public early warning,” says the report, ‘Mobile Cell Broadcasting for Commercial Use and Public Warning in the Maldives’, which was published last month (15 July).

More at: http://southasia.oneworld.net/ictsfordevelopment/maldives-to-get-early-warning-alerts-via-sms