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Pages 1-17

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From page 1...
... combined existing systems such as the Emergency Alert System and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards system and would come to include the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system,1 which delivers short alert messages to cell phone subscribers.
From page 2...
... Applications like Waze provide automated alerting regarding traffic situations to oncoming drivers and may also be used by government agencies to provide evacuation information. As a result, there are numerous opportunities to better deliver, target, and tailor emergency alerts.
From page 3...
... 2016 Report and Order on WEA,2 including the key insight that the 90-character message length afforded by the previous WEA system was not sufficient to accommodate the quality and quantity of information necessary for yielding a quick public response.3 Through this and other research, a good deal has been learned about how people use other tools, such as social media, during hazards and disasters.4 This report reviews the results of past research, considers new possibilities for realizing more effective alert and warning5 systems, explores how a more effective national alert and warning system might be created and some of the gaps in our present knowledge, and sets forth a research agenda to advance the nation's alert and warning capabilities. 2  Federal Communications Commission, 2016, Report and Order and Further Notice of Rulemaking, FCC 16-127, September 29, https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/ FCC-16-127A1.pdf.
From page 4...
... A new WEA geotargeting mechanism, called AN INTEGRATED ALERT AND WARNING ECOSYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE The development and deployment of IPAWS and WEA established a valuable new tool for public alerting, and has been credited with saving lives.6 It leverages the ubiquity of cell phones (92 percent of American 6  National Weather Service, "Wireless Emergency Alerts: Real Stories," release date May 28, 2014, https://www.weather.gov/news/130313-wea-stories.
From page 5...
... • Geo-targeting Performance of Wireless Emergency Alerts. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the public benefit and performance trade-offs of geo-targeted WEA messages using alternative WEA antenna selection methods and to identify the optimal WEA radio frequency geo-targeted areas for immi nent threat scenarios.
From page 6...
... In the near term, this may mean increasing adoption of WEA and other existing alert and warning systems, incorporation of current knowledge about public response to craft more effective alert messages, and research focusing on verifying technology implementation and may also involve adapting existing ­echnologies -- t such as new technologies for delivering and geotargeting messages -- for use in alert and warning systems. Long term, this will involve gaining a b ­ etter understanding of existing technologies, exploring new technologies, and continued sociotechnical research to inform the design and operation of future alerting capabilities.
From page 7...
... counties have registered to use the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System8 gateway, the system that allows message originators to send WEA messages. As of the same date, state or local governments had originated only 387 wireless emergency alerts since WEA came online; by comparison the National Weather Service sent approximately 2 million alerts.9 An increased use of WEA by local emergency officials could not only mean reaching additional populations, but also increased use (for events other than weather)
From page 8...
... , and message delivery latency. Long Term: Build an Integrated Alert and Warning Ecosystem In the longer term, IPAWS could be augmented so that it draws on a wide variety of data sources, enhances public understanding of emergencies and public response, and uses a wider range of potential technologies and devices for delivering messages.
From page 9...
... For example, both text and voice alerts can be provided on mobile devices. • Reflecting a better understanding of the information needs of emergency managers to quickly analyze data generated via social media.
From page 10...
... best to communicate location, determine locations of interest (e.g., an individual's location might not be at risk but their residence is) , make use of improving indoor location capabilities, and determine and communicate protective action based on location.
From page 11...
... Research is needed to understand whether templates can be created so that messages can be automatically translated with sufficient fidelity. 14 Federal Communications Commission, "Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts and Community-Initiated Alerting," release date November 19, 2015, https://apps.fcc.gov/­ edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-154A1.pdf.
From page 12...
... What other technologies exist to support information dissemination to differently abled individuals? How can protective action instructions be tailored or customized to support diverse populations -- including those of differing ages and abilities -- and their caregivers?
From page 13...
... Research to date has found current public education campaigns are generally ineffective because they are not specific enough and do not contain content that motivates behavior change.15 More research is needed to determine how to motivate behavior change as well as what other factors contribute to successful public disaster education campaigns. Post-Alert Feedback and Monitoring Technology is needed that solicits feedback from message recipients to help understand better who has received alert messages, how the public is responding to the messages, and what additional information might be needed.
From page 14...
... While there are still several technical research questions around cell broadcast technologies, such as the use of next-generation networks, cell phones can also receive data through a variety of other wireless communications technologies that could be adapted for message dissemination. Additionally, during hazards, some cellular networks may not function properly, so other technologies are needed to deliver messages (e.g., peer-to-peer, FM radio)
From page 15...
... Machine learning and other artificial intelligence techniques will play a role in the ability to automate the sending of alerts in short-fuse events, such as earthquakes and active shooter situations, and also to provide responders with better information during and post-events. Trust, Security, and Privacy A system that instructs large populations to take a particular action may represent a significant target for attacks on service availability, compromises of the integrity of valid messages, and spoofed messages.16 As emergency managers begin harnessing information -- including personal and geographically relevant information -- from social media, security and privacy concerns will increase.
From page 16...
... Incentives to Participate An alert and warning ecosystem incorporates numerous official sources of information as well as numerous other information providers, such as social media companies, navigation companies, local media, and hardware makers. For example, WEA relies on cellular service providers to implement the necessary capabilities in their infrastructure and for cell phone manufacturers to include the necessary software in smartphones
From page 17...
... * Our nation's ability to respond effectively to natural hazards and humanmade disasters depends on our ability to deploy improved alerting systems that take advantage of new technologies, informed by a better understanding of the way in which the public uses and responds to these systems.


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