PROTECTING AMERICA PROTECTING AMERICA THROUGH PUBLIC ALERT & THROUGH PUBLIC ALERT &

WARNINGWARNING

NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCENATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCEAPRIL 6, 2004APRIL 6, 2004

Kenneth B. AllenKenneth B. AllenExecutive DirectorExecutive Director

Partnership for Public WarningPartnership for Public Warning

PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC WARNINGPARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC WARNING

A non-profit, public-private partnershipA non-profit, public-private partnership

Established in January 2002 by leaders of the emergency Established in January 2002 by leaders of the emergency management community management community

Participants include emergency managers and warning experts Participants include emergency managers and warning experts from local and state government, the private sector, non-profit from local and state government, the private sector, non-profit community and federal governmentcommunity and federal government

Provides a collaborative forum where all the stakeholders are Provides a collaborative forum where all the stakeholders are working togetherworking together

PUBLIC WARNINGPUBLIC WARNING

Objective: (1) alert people at riskObjective: (1) alert people at risk (2) provide timely, relevant & accurate(2) provide timely, relevant & accurate informationinformation (3) protective actions(3) protective actions

Success: The actions people takeSuccess: The actions people take

Benefits: Save lives, reduce property losses & speedBenefits: Save lives, reduce property losses & speed economic recoveryeconomic recovery

PUBLIC WARNING IS A SYSTEM –PUBLIC WARNING IS A SYSTEM –NOT A TECHNOLOGYNOT A TECHNOLOGY

Data collection & analysisData collection & analysis

Decision to issue a warningDecision to issue a warning

Framing the warningFraming the warning

Disseminating the warningDisseminating the warning

Public receptionPublic reception

ValidationValidation

Take ActionTake Action

CURRENT US PUBLIC WARNING CURRENT US PUBLIC WARNING CAPABILITYCAPABILITY

MULTIPLICITY OF THREAT SCALES:MULTIPLICITY OF THREAT SCALES:

air quality, asteroids, computer viruses, earthquakes, air quality, asteroids, computer viruses, earthquakes,

floods, hurricanes, nuclear plants, terrorism, floods, hurricanes, nuclear plants, terrorism,

tsunamis, volcanoes, windstsunamis, volcanoes, winds

DISSEMINATION CHANNELS:DISSEMINATION CHANNELS:

NWR, EAS, TV & radio, local systemsNWR, EAS, TV & radio, local systems

FragmentedFragmented Inconsistent scalesInconsistent scales Lack of standard terminologyLack of standard terminology VoluntaryVoluntary Dependent on TV & RadioDependent on TV & Radio Lack of clear policies & Lack of clear policies &

proceduresprocedures

Fail to warn those with Fail to warn those with special needsspecial needs

Lack of fundingLack of funding Little public awarenessLittle public awareness No strategy or visionNo strategy or vision Lack of leadershipLack of leadership

STATE OF US PUBLIC WARNING STATE OF US PUBLIC WARNING CAPABILITYCAPABILITY

THE BOTTOM LINETHE BOTTOM LINE

Existing systems fail to reach many people at Existing systems fail to reach many people at risk and reach many people not at risk.risk and reach many people not at risk.

When an emergency happens, many individuals When an emergency happens, many individuals fail to get timely information, fail to fail to get timely information, fail to understand or act on the information and understand or act on the information and don’t know where to go for additional don’t know where to go for additional informationinformation

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE PUBLIC WARNING CAPABILITYPUBLIC WARNING CAPABILITY

All hazardAll hazard Take advantage of existing Take advantage of existing

assets (e.g. NWR & EAS)assets (e.g. NWR & EAS) Doesn’t put anyone at riskDoesn’t put anyone at risk Supports multiple warning Supports multiple warning

sourcessources Individually addressableIndividually addressable Only authorized officials may Only authorized officials may

enter warningsenter warnings Enhance local controlEnhance local control Secure, redundant & available Secure, redundant & available

24/724/7

Open, non-proprietary Open, non-proprietary architecturearchitecture

Uniform terminologyUniform terminology Clear & consistent messagesClear & consistent messages Support multiple languages & Support multiple languages &

users with disabilitiesusers with disabilities Available during power outagesAvailable during power outages Multiple distribution channels Multiple distribution channels

using multiple technologiesusing multiple technologies Easily understood by publicEasily understood by public

CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PUBLIC CREATING AN EFFECTIVE PUBLIC WARNING CAPABILITYWARNING CAPABILITY

Not a technology problemNot a technology problem

Solution requires:Solution requires: Collaboration & consensusCollaboration & consensus Enhancement of legacy systemsEnhancement of legacy systems StandardsStandards Policies & proceduresPolicies & procedures EducationEducation LeadershipLeadership

PPW ACCOMPLISHMENTSPPW ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Educated senior government officials & the publicEducated senior government officials & the public

Homeland Security Advisory SystemHomeland Security Advisory System

Emergency Alert SystemEmergency Alert System

Common Alerting Protocol Common Alerting Protocol

National strategy & plan for improving public National strategy & plan for improving public warning warning

www.PartnershipforPublicWarning.orgwww.PartnershipforPublicWarning.org

ESTABLISH A NATIONAL GOALESTABLISH A NATIONAL GOAL

Create a national public warning system that Create a national public warning system that will provide people at risk during times of will provide people at risk during times of emergency with timely and useful information emergency with timely and useful information that will enable them to take appropriate that will enable them to take appropriate actions to save lives and property.actions to save lives and property.

THE CHALLENGETHE CHALLENGE

To collaborate on the development of a To collaborate on the development of a national public warning capability that national public warning capability that will, during times of emergency, get the will, during times of emergency, get the right information to the right people at right information to the right people at the right time, regardless of their the right time, regardless of their location, the time of day or night and location, the time of day or night and any special needs.any special needs.