The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will host a proof-of-concept demonstration of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) integration model on Monday, August 15, in Fairfax, VA. The model integrates next generation technologies with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS), enabling alerting authorities to disseminate Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) with new capabilities such as displaying hazard and evacuation alert information on the "infotainment" screens in vehicles.
Alerting Integration
Reliable alerting remains an essential tool for Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) incident commanders, emergency managers, alerting authorities, and public safety officials to quickly disseminate life-saving evacuation information to the public. Leveraging industry partnerships, S&T and FEMA are developing a new method for putting life safety alerts (such as evacuation alerts) into navigation applications during emergencies. Doing so will not only provide alerts to an increasingly mobile public, but also help the public make informed navigation decisions in all-hazard situations.
The Evacuation Alerting Challenge & Solution
Today’s responders need innovative solutions that can overcome the growing WUI landscape. Specifically, a unified solution that can bridge the gap between time-sensitive, life safety information and the navigation-reliant public. With no such solution existing today, a new WUI Integration Model is being developed. Leveraging existing technologies such as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and a vendor agnostic information feed, the same IPAWS alerts sent today will be able to appear in navigation applications in mobile devices and cars.
How You Can Help Change the Alerting Landscape
S&T and FEMA IPAWS are looking for industry partners that value the development or support of navigation technologies and FSLTT public safety personnel engaged in evacuations and alerting to help inform, test, and ultimately adopt this lifesaving technology. For more information or to participate please contact Norman Speicher, DHS S&T program manager at norman.k.speicher@hq.dhs.gov.