BACKGROUND
* The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) allows emergency messages to be simultaneously disseminated over a wide variety of existing and emerging public alerting systems.
* CAP is an international technical data specification developed by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS).
* In addition to the basic CAP standard, a supplemental IPAWS Profile technical specification was developed to ensure compatibility with existing warning systems used in the Unites States.
* FEMA has formally adopted CAP and the IPAWS Profile to implement the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.

WHAT SYSTEMS WILL USE CAP?
* Emergency Alert System (EAS) participants (radio, television, cable, broadcast, satellite, and wireline providers) are required to upgrade their equipment to be capable of receiving CAP-formatted alerts under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules.  The current compliance deadline is June 30, 2012.
* Messages for the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) are transmitted to the IPAWS-OPEN Aggregator in CAP format.  The major cellular companies will implement the capability to broadcast presidential, imminent threat and AMBER alerts to cellular telephones by April 2012.





* The National Weather Service (NWS) uses a form of CAP to receive Non Weather Emergency Messages (NWEMs) from authorized public officials for relay over its family dissemination systems, including NOAA Weather Radio.
* NWS will also use CAP to relay NWS-originated warnings via IPAWS, in addition to its current methods.
* Additional public and private sector systems are expected to migrate to CAP over the coming years.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CAP?
* As more systems are built or upgraded to CAP, a single alert can trigger a wide variety of public warning systems, increasing the likelihood that intended recipients receive the alert by one or more communication pathways.
* CAP provides the capability to include rich content, such as photographs, maps, streaming video and more.
* CAP provides the ability to geo-target alerts to a defined warning area, limited only by the capacity of the delivery system used.
* Although IPAWS does not provide translation services, CAP does provide the capability to issue alerts in multiple languages.
* Since CAP provides the capability to incorporate both text and equivalent audio, CAP alerts can better serve the needs of hearing or visually impaired persons.
For more information: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/
To contact the IPAWS Project Management Office: ipaws@dhs.gov 	
		1/3/2012