The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the launch of the Digital Emergency Alert System (DEAS), a new alert system being tested in the National Capital Region.
The six-month DEAS pilot will demonstrate how DHS can improve public alerts times of national crisis through the use of local public television’s digital television broadcasts. Covering 50-75 mile urban area, the system would also receive return requests for information in the same broadcast channel (”in band return path”). The in band return path capability has been tested in laboratory settings.
The joint venture among FEMA, Homeland Security’s Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection directorate, and the Association of Public Television Stations may use the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), a simple, flexible data interchange format for collecting and distributing all-hazard safety notifications and emergency warnings over information networks and public alerting systems.
Michael D. Brown, under secretary for Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness and Response said, “This technology will substantially improve Homeland Security’s ability to provide alert and warning accessibility to the hearing and sight impaired, targeted warning messages, and improved public reception by increasing the types of devices that can receive critical alert and all hazards warnings.”
The Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) system, now used on most NOAA Weather Radio Stations is planned to coincide with the federally mandated upgrade of the old Emergency Broadcast System to the new Digital Emergency Alert System. The new EAS signaling technologies are identical to the SAME system.
Working with cellular telephone service providers, television and radio broadcasters, Homeland Security will use this pilot to develop and deploy DEAS nationally. This system will also supplement and integrate with the existing national Emergency Alert System (EAS).
A wireless Amber Alert system is also being planned. Amber Alert is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and broadcasters to activate urgent bulletins in the most serious child abduction cases.
President Bush and Congress approved $32 billion in spending for Homeland Security, but lawmakers criticized some of the department’s efforts to employ new technologies.
FEMA has a long list of current disasters. Not that this is one of them.
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