Alerting Solutions Introduces CAP Module that Allows Emergency Management Organizations to Trigger the National Weather Service Warning System
New Module supports National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) HazCollect system and the Department of Homeland Security Disaster Management program (DMIS), using the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)
Martinez, CA. (May 28, 2009) – Alerting Solutions, Inc. (formerly Hormann America, Inc.) today announced the availability of the CAP HazCollect Activation Module, an add-on capability for its flagship alerting product – Next Generation® CAP system. The new module lets federal, state and local emergency management officials instantly trigger the NOAA Weather Radio System and send warning messages via the Internet to the public and to broadcasters. This HazCollect Activation Module adds yet another critical alerting channel to Alerting Solutions’ Emergency Notification System tools.
Earlier this year NOAA and FEMA tested the new module simultaneously in Contra Costa County, California and in the State of Hawaii. Emergency managers at both locations posted warning messages using Alerting Solutions’ Next Generation® CAP servers. The CapCon™ HazCollect module automatically activated delivery of the message via FEMA gateway to the NOAA system, resulting in broadcast over only relevant radio stations and immediately alerted the targeted public.
“Using the CapCon HazCollect replaces a decade-old system that required us to call the Weather Forecast office for activation of the weather radios in emergencies,” said Mr. Art Botterell, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff’s Warning System manager. “Our CAER group funded a weather radio transmitter project and distributed hundreds of radios in our schools and sensitive receptors locations. These radios will be even more effective now. “
Mr. George Burnett, Telecommunications Branch Chief of the Hawaii Civil Defense Force said, “Hawaii’s large outdoor community and our insular geography as a state makes our community very attentive to weather radio alerts. The CapCon HazCollect Module will allow us to shorten the time to send alerts via the weather radio. Integrating this capability into our Next Generation® CAP system will enhance greatly our mission to save lives.
Alerting Solutions’ Next Generation® CAP system provides the following capabilities:
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Delivery of warning messages over all variety of existing networks, including the public Internet, telephones, sirens, indoor public address systems and analog radio channels.
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Alerting Solutions’ CapCon HazCollect Module automatically routes the warning message to FEMA’s Disaster Management Interoperability Services (DMIS). Based on the originator credentials, DMIS provides the message to NOAA’s Hazcollect system which delivers the message to the relevant radio sites for transmission.
"By being able to launch an alert to the public via the National Weather Radio from any networked workstation, including from a remote location, authorized emergency management organizations shorten the time to alert the public, improve messaging consistency and speed up information transmission during a time when minutes and even seconds are critical,” commented Efraim Petel, president of Alerting Solutions. “Emergency management agencies and first responder officials can use the Next Generation® CAP system with even more powerful public warning capability.”
Alerting Solutions, a pioneer in Common Alerting Protocol warning systems, has been working with NOAA’s weather service since 1999 to utilize the weather warning tools for all-hazard emergency warnings. HazCollect is a reliable tool that improves public safety by providing accurate warning messages faster with minimal expense.
Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is an XML-based data format for exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting technologies. CAP allows a warning message to be consistently disseminated simultaneously over warning systems to many different receivers. CAP increases warning effectiveness and automates the task of activating a warning by the responsible authorities. For more information, visit www.incident.com/cap.
HazCollect is a cooperative effort between the Disaster Management program and the National Weather Service to automate warnings. For more information, visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/hazcollect.
About Alerting Solutions
Alerting Solutions began operation in January, 1999 as Hormann America, Inc. installing the comprehensive Contra Costa County, CA, Community Warning System, which is recognized globally for its integrations of warning tools and advanced technology. Alerting Solutions’ key personnel are highly experienced engineers, programmers and emergency managers that specialize in Emergency Warning Systems and Public Safety Products. Alerting Solutions’ sole focus is the development of Public Safety Systems including specific modules and applications for Industry, City, County, & State Community Warning Systems. The California state-wide EDIS warning system as well as the Hawaii CAP system and others were designed, installed and continue to be maintained by Alerting Solutions.
For more information, please visit http://www.alertingsolutions.com.
NOAA
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Working with the emergency managers nationwide, NWR is an "All Hazards" radio network, making it a perfect source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. Interfacing with the AlertNET system, NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards – including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills), and public safety (such as AMBER alerts or 911)
AlertNET links to NOAA
The Weather Radio can be used by the AlerNET system in anyone of the following three methods:
1. Controlling the Weather Radio Transmitter via a CapCon installed at the transmitter site
2. Interacting with the AWIPS HAZCOLLECT data at the relevant Weather Forecast Office
3. By interacting with DMIS HAZCOLLECT using the OPEN protocol.
Weather Radio and California's EDIS
Alerting Solutions has begun adding links between the State of California's Emergency Digital Information Service (EDIS) and the National Weather Service's NOAA Weather Radio. This allows emergency text messages generated by authorized EDIS users to be broadcast as spoken messages over NOAA Weather Radio transmitters covering the area affected by the warning.
The link gives emergency managers a powerful warning tool that doesn't rely on the Emergency Alert System of broadcasters and cable systems, or that may be used alongside EAS as needs warrant. The Alerting Solutions technology that enables this system receives Common Alerting Protocol messages from EDIS, or any other source, and reformats them for transmission by NWR. Once the message is received by the local NWR system, the text message is converted into voice and broadcast.
This technology is avalable to any Alerting Solutions customer authorized by the National Weather Service and we look forward to working with local emergency managers to link their warnings to NOAA Weather Radio.
