BACKGROUND * FEMA’s IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN) receives and authenticates messages transmitted by alerting authorities and routes them to existing and emerging public alerting systems. * Software and hardware developers are creating IPAWS-OPEN compatible alert origination and dissemination tools for emergency management officials. * Alerting authorities can use IPAWS-OPEN compatible software to compose and transmit alerts to the public via radio, television, mobile telephone, NOAA Weather Radio, internet-based systems, and other dissemination systems. * Private sector manufacturers of Emergency Alert System (EAS) encoder/decoder equipment are updating their products to be capable of receiving alerts from IPAWS-OPEN for broadcast to the public. * IPAWS uses Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), an international standard developed by Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and adopted by FEMA. * Existing state or locally owned and operated warning systems – such as sirens, highway signs, or emergency telephone notification systems – may be configured to receive alerts from IPAWS-OPEN. ADDED CAPABILITIES ADDED CAPABILITIES * CAP for Data Interoperability: IPAWS-OPEN also supports the use of CAP by public safety organizations to exchange incident reports and related information between different, IPAWS-OPEN-compatible software systems. * National Weather Service Dissemination: IPAWS-OPEN also employs a form of CAP that is compatible with existing National Weather Service (NWS) dissemination systems, including NOAA Weather Radio. IPAWS-OPEN may be used to route messages to the NWS gateway to increase the number of channels used to warn the public. * Emergency Data Exchange Language Distribution Element (EDXL-DE): IPAWS OPEN supports EDXL-DE, an OASIS data specification used for routing content between public safety organizations – such as maps, video, photographs, documents – in a wide variety of digital formats. WHO MAY USE IPAWS-OPEN * Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local government organizations are eligible to apply for free access to IPAWS-OPEN. Further information about the application process is available on the IPAWS website. * Private or public sector software developers may access the IPAWS test and development environment for the purpose of designing IPAWS-OPEN compatible systems at no charge. For more information: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/ To contact the IPAWS Project Management Office: ipaws@dhs.gov 1/3/2012