Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)

February 2014 - FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Management Office (PMO) is holding the first webinar of the IPAWS Unique Alert Services (UAS) Series on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time.  This webinar series is IPAWS PMO’s answer to the alerting practitioners’ request to provide more information on unique alert services and tools available on the market.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released Alerting the Whole Community: Removing Barriers to Alerting Accessibility, a report outlining the current efforts made to ensure accessibility for people with access and functional needs within the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). According to the report, approximately 25% of Americans may need “assistance or accommodation to receive emergency alerts,” including people with disabilities and limited English proficiency.

May 23, 2013 — The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the report “Emergency Alerting: Capabilities Have Improved, but Additional Guidance and Testing are Needed.” The report reviews the changing capabilities of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) in addition to the results of the nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).