Emergency Communications

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.

February 2014 — The Wireless RERC submitted reply comment to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM): In the Matter of Accessibility of User Interfaces, and Programming Guides and Menus and Accessible Emergency Information and Apparatus Requirements for Emergency Information and Video Description: Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. The FNPRM requested input on defining the scope of Sections 204 and 205 of the Twenty First Communications and Video Accessibility Act

February 2014 — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a new Independent Study Course: IS-368: Including People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs in Disaster Operations.  The course “provides an overview of disabilities and access and functional needs” and further explains how disaster staff and emergency management can ensure that all practices are inclusive and accessible.  Following the course, disaster staff and emergency management should be aware of the legislative and regulatory framework ensuring the rights of people with disabilities in

Today, AT&T Foundation announced a $50,000 contribution to Shepherd Center to assist researchers in the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC) in launching a series of seminars to help consumers with disabilities uncover the range of accessibility features found on their mobile devices. Seminars are scheduled for five cities – Atlanta, Ga., Austin and Dallas, Texas, Chicago, Ill., and Washington, D.C. – throughout this spring and summer. 

January 2014 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held an open meeting regarding the considerations for a Report and Order and Notices of Proposed Rulemaking to address both technology transition experiments and policy goals regarding widespread implementation of public safety measures.  Following the meeting the FCC announced the launch of voluntary experiments regarding the technology transitions in communications networks.