Federal Government Works to Enhance Emergency Broadcast Message System

The Department of Homeland Security is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enhance the current public alert and warning systems to "enhance a national capability to deliver geographically targeted, timely, and effective alert messages to mobile devices" (read the press release below). A group of stakeholders met earlier this month to discuss the possibilities of expanding the federal emergency alert system to include mobile phones.

While it may seem the government is a little behind the curve in this endeavor, there is good news. First, we know the technology exists because Alerts Made Easy can do it! And second, you don't have to wait for the federal government to provide these alerts. With Alerts Made Easy, anyone, including state and federal government agencies, city and county governments, emergency management agencies, and school districts, can implement their own geographically targeted, timely, and effective broadcast message system.

We are excited to be able to provide this technology to empower local governments to keep their citizens safe. Most of the time, it's the local governments, law enforcement, and fire departments coordinating the response and recovery effort after a disaster or during an emergency situation. They are on the ground and in the know, with eyes and ears close to the situation and in the trenches, and they need the ability to respond quickly. So, while it's certainly an advantage to have a national, coordinate alert message system, we know that having the ability to broadcast messages from the local level is just as, if not more, important in critical situations.

Press Release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Wed, August 05, 2009

WASHINGTON - In effort to enhance the nation’s emergency broadcast system, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Command, Control and Interoperability Division (CID) of the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate, convened stakeholders from all dimensions of the alerts and warnings community Thursday to determine the next steps to implementing the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS).

“Early warning is integral to the health and wellbeing of both people and property across our nation,” said Dr. David Boyd, Director, CID. “Through this inaugural CMAS Forum, CID has effectively begun laying the groundwork for a more effective solution and for making the system a reality for the American public.”

Since they were first developed, public alert and warning systems have primarily consisted of messages that interrupt regular broadcasts over television and radio to provide emergency information. With well over 80 percent of the American population subscribing to commercial mobile services, CID is working under a memorandum of agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enable and enhance a national capability to deliver geographically targeted, timely, and effective alert messages to mobile devices.

Today’s forum brought together key stakeholders to build a coalition of local, state, Federal, industry and non-governmental organizations, develop a shared understanding of the CMAS research, development, test and evaluation efforts, and identify important next steps. This is the first time a group of this magnitude and specialty has convened to address CMAS since the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC)

Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee (CMSAAC) held its final meeting on October 3, 2007.

For more information, contact:
DHS S&T Press Office
Phone: (202) 254-2385