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All-hazards, all-media
public warning standard
Eliot Christian, United States Geological Survey
W
hen data shows a volcano threatening a major eruption,
scientists and emergency managers rush to evaluate the
danger. Airborne and satellite observations supplement
on-the-ground sensor data, helping local authorities decide where
and when to issue official public warnings.
Nothing challenges our humanity, and modern technology, as much
as a major disaster. With today’s sophisticated Earth Observations,
detailed maps, communications and information technology, you
would expect that countless lives are saved by early warnings. Yet,
for many events in places around the world, societies continue to
suffer horribly from disasters. Lives that might have been saved are
still being lost, often for lack of solid, timely warnings.
Improved early warning of disasters is one of the
targeted societal benefits of the new Global Earth
Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). In addition to
enhancing observations and models, authorities should
have the information they need to quickly warn everyone
in harm’s way, using all available communications media.
Recently, experts agreed on the content standard for
all-hazards and all-media public warning. The Common
Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard addresses the long-
standing need to coordinate all of the mechanisms used
for warnings and alerts. Maintained by the Organization
for the Advancement of Structured Information
Standards (OASIS), the CAP standard is also known as
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Recommendation X.1303.
1
Obviously, it is a major challenge to assure that stan-
dards-based, all-hazards, all-media public warning
becomes available to societies worldwide. The ITU is
urging nations to implement the CAP standard.
Guidelines for developing nations are being published
by the ITU Development sector. In addition, official
alerting authorities everywhere can now take advantage
of the commercial vendor offer of no-charge, high-
performance and high-reliability hosting of CAP alerts,
including authentication.
Official CAP alerts for earthquake and volcano events
around the world are already available. CAP alerts for
severe weather and other kinds of events are available
on an experimental basis for some regions.
2
In 2007,
the United States is implementing a new law that
updates its national Emergency Alert System. This will
require CAP-based public warning by wireless commu-
nications and other service providers.
Benefits of the Common Alerting Protocol
With adequate warning, people can act to reduce
damage and loss of life from natural and man-made
hazard events. The key is to get timely and appropriate
warnings to everyone who needs them, and only to
those who need them. Yet, appropriate and complete
alerting is a complex challenge given the wide variety
of warning systems. Many are specific to a certain type
of disaster, such as an earthquake or typhoon, or to a
certain warning media, such as a siren or television
announcement.
All-hazards, all-media warnings are vital in saving lives
GEOSS C
OMPONENTS
– P
REDICTION
S
YSTEMS
Photo: Lyn Topinka, USGS