Public alert systemsStates choose different paths to deploying public alert systems

Thanks to systems such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), the technology which allows governments to notify residents quickly of an emergency is becoming increasingly cheaper and more effective. Because of this, states are choosing different and unique paths toward deploying such systems within their infrastructure.

As Emergency Management reports, states are choosing between giving local governments the lead on alert systems or providing extensive state-wide oversight.

Iowa, for instance, is pushing for a statewide alert system. Previously, alert systems had been selected by individual counties. A survey eventually found that not all counties were employing such a system anyway, and those that did — roughly half in the state — were spending around $600,000 a year on the project.

John Benson, a spokesman for the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department (HSEMD) told the EM, “We asked vendors what a statewide alert system might look like and cost. Based on the responses, we recognized that if we did it right, we’d be able to provide statewide coverage for less than what those 53 counties were paying.” This would also include covering the forty-six counties without a system in place, as well.

The Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) agency has taken the opposite route. The agency has asked counties to develop their own IPAWS compatible alert systems — with help from the state HSEM.

John Dooley, the communications and warning officer for the Minnesota HSEM, said, “In 2010 we looked at doing a statewide system — what it would cost, what each county would gain from it, and where the funding would come from. Third-party software just wasn’t sophisticated or available enough yet for us to pursue a statewide system.

“Further, given the remote nature of much of the state, a local system seemed more feasible.

“We thought, because pretty much all disasters are local, we wanted to keep the concept of operation local as well,” Dooley said.

Other states, such as Ohio and Texas, have allowed counties to continue to keep their operations in place while still allowing them to utilize greater parts of a state-wide system as the need arises.

Benson added, “With a statewide system, you have unified technology being utilized across the state, and that’s always good in term of being able to back people up.”