Common Alerting Protocol: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:11, 7 July 2019

Latest revision as of 03:40, 13 July 2025

(25 intermediate revisions by 21 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|XML-based markup language}}

The '''Common Alerting Protocol''' ('''CAP''') is an [[XML]]-based data format for exchanging [[emergency population warning|public warnings]] and emergencies between alerting technologies. CAP allows a warning message to be consistently disseminated simultaneously over many warning systems to many applications, such as [[Google Public Alerts]] and [[Cell Broadcast]]. CAP increases warning effectiveness and simplifies the task of activating a warning for responsible officials.

Standardized alerts can be received from many sources and configure their applications to process and respond to the alerts as desired. Alerts from the [[Department of Homeland Security]], the [[Department of the Interior]]'s [[United States Geological Survey]], and the [[United States Department of Commerce]]'s [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA), and state and local government agencies can all be received in the same format by the same application. That application can, for example, sound different alarms, based on the information received.

Line 15 ⟶ 16:

==Background==

The US [[National Science and Technology Council]] (NSTC) November 2000 report on "Effective Disaster Warnings" recommended that "standard method should be developed to collect and relay instantaneously and automatically all types of hazard warnings and reports locally, regionally and nationally for input into a wide variety of dissemination systems."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdr.gov/NDIS_rev_Oct27.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdateaccess-date=2006-05-03 |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513144112/http://www.sdr.gov/NDIS_rev_Oct27.pdf |archivedatearchive-date=2006-05-13 |df= }}</ref>

In 2001, an international independent group of over 120 emergency managers that was convened online by California emergency telecommunications expert Art Botterell began specifying and prototyping the Common Alerting Protocol data structure based on the recommendations of the NSTC report. The project was embraced by the non-profit Partnership for Public Warning and a number of international warning system vendors.<ref>http{{Cite web|url=https://www.ppw.us {{webarchive/|urlarchiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020928072102/http://www.ppw.us/|url-status=usurped|title=Partnership for Public Warning|archive-date=2002-09-28 September 2002|website=ppw.us}}</ref> A series of field trials and long-term demonstration projects during 2002-03 led to the submission of a draft CAP specification to the OASIS standards process for formalization.

The CAP&nbsp;1.0 specification was approved by [[OASIS (organization)|OASIS]] in April 2004. Based on experience with CAP&nbsp;1.0, the OASIS Emergency Management Technical Committee adopted an updated CAP&nbsp;1.1 specification in October 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/emergency |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030207195408/http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/emergency/ |archive-date=2003-02-07 |title=OASIS - Committees - OASIS Emergency Management TC}}</ref><ref>[http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/14759/emergency-CAPv1.1.pdf Common Alerting Protocol, v. 1.1] oasis-open.org</ref> At a meeting in Geneva in October 2006 the CAP&nbsp;1.1 specification was taken under consideration by the [[International TelecommunicationsTelecommunication Union]]'s [[ITU-T|Standardization Sector]] for adoption as an ITU-T recommendation. CAP was subsequently adopted as Recommendation X.1303.<ref>{{cite web |title=X.1303 : Common alerting protocol (CAP 1.1) |url=https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.1303/en |publisher=International TelecommunicationsTelecommunication Union |accessdateaccess-date=2019-04-30}}</ref>

CAP specification version 1.2 has been available since July 2010 at the OASIS website.<ref>[http://docs.oasis-open.org/emergency/cap/v1.2/CAP-v1.2-os.pdf Common Alerting Protocol Version 1.2] oasis-open.org</ref>

==Implementation==

Line 28 ⟶ 29:

===Australia===

The Australian Government Standard for Common Alerting Protocol (CAP-AU-STD, 2012) was developed by a CAP-AU-STD stakeholder group comprising federal agencies [[Emergency Management Australia]], the [[Bureau of Meteorology]], [[Geoscience Australia|GeoScience Australia]], [[Department of Agriculture and Water Resources|Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry]] and the [[Department of Health (Australia)|Department of Health]] as well as a number of State Government authorities and emergency services agencies. The project was co-ordinated by the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department (Australian Emergency Management).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ag.gov.au/EmergencyManagement/Emergency-management-capability/Pages/default.aspx|title=Emergency Management Capabilities - Attorney General's Department|work=ag.gov.au|access-date=2018-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115184416/https://www.ag.gov.au/EmergencyManagement/Emergency-management-capability/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=2018-01-15|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.gov.au/dataset/cap-au-std|title=Common Alerting Protocol – Australia (CAP-AU-STD) - Data.gov.au|work=data.gov.au}}</ref>

===Canada===

In Canada, a working group composed of public alerting practitioners and government agencies has developed a CAP Canadian Profile (CAP-CP) based on CAP but specialized to address the needs of Canadian public alerting stakeholders, such as bilingualism, geocoding for Canada, managed lists of locations and events, etc. The Canadian government has adopted CAP-CP for its [[National Public Alerting System]] (NPAS) project. The CAP‑CP working group, along with stakeholders and projects such as the [[Canadian Public Safety Operations Organization]] (CanOps) and Netalerts' Sarnia Lambton trial, are now working with and refining CAP‑CP for national application in Canada.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

CAP has been implemented for a small-scale, grassroots hazard information system in [[Sri Lanka]] following the [[2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami]]. This implementation was part of the "HazInfo Project", funded by Canada's [[International Development Research Centre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lirneasia.net/projects/current-projects/evaluating-last-mile-hazard-information-dissemination-hazinfo/|title=Evaluating Last-Mile Hazard Information Dissemination (HazInfo)|work=lirneasia.net|access-date=2007-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709060448/http://www.lirneasia.net/projects/current-projects/evaluating-last-mile-hazard-information-dissemination-hazinfo/|archive-date=2007-07-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The province of [[Alberta]] adopted CAP as part of its [[Alberta Emergency Alert]] system. In March 2015, [[Alert Ready]], a national public warning system based upon CAP-CP, was officially launched. Participation in the system by all broadcasters and television providers is mandated by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Alerting Bulletin to Last Mile Distributors|url=https://alerts.pelmorex.com/download/public/Broadcaster%20Bulletin%202015-03-27.pdf|publisher=Pelmorex|accessdateaccess-date=9 June 2015|format=PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506000827/https://alerts.pelmorex.com/download/public/Broadcaster%20Bulletin%202015-03-27.pdf|archive-date=6 May 2015|dead-url-status=yesdead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Alberta emergency system goes digital|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-emergency-system-goes-digital-1.993701|website=CBC News|accessdateaccess-date=9 June 2015}}</ref><ref name=cbc-aeavoice>{{cite web|title=Digital alert system hard to decipher: critics|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/digital-alert-system-hard-to-decipher-critics-1.1032381|website=CBC News|accessdateaccess-date=9 June 2015}}</ref>

===Germany===

The Federal Office for Citizen Protection and Disaster Support (''Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und KatastrophenhilfeKatastrophenhilf''e, BBK) is working on an implementation based on CAP 1.2, which will allow for Internet-based access to data provided by the nation's modular warning system MoWaS.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bbk.bund.de/DE/AufgabenundAusstattung/Krisenmanagement/WarnungderBevoelkerung/Warnmultiplikatoren/Warnmultiplikatoren_node.html | title = Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe - Warnmultiplikatoren Warnmultiplikatoren|publisher=}}</ref> The development of MoWaS is based on the satellite-based warning system SatWaS from 2001, which only provides information to less than 150 state and media entities. In case no broadcast receiver, like a radio or television, is running nearby, the resulting warning effect of SatWaS would be severely limited, because many state-run emergency sirens have been left unmaintained or were dismantled altogether. The use of CAP support in MoWaS should alleviate this problem.

===Italy===

Line 45 ⟶ 46:

The first use of CAP protocol in a civil protection activity in Italy was recorded in 2009, in the aftermath of the [[Central Italy Earthquake]], when the Fire Corps exchanged data with the Ministry for Cultural Heritage to coordinate their efforts in designing and implementing provisional measures for monuments and historical buildings.

On April 5th5, 21072017, an [http://www.vigilfuoco.it/aspx/download_file.aspx?id=22636 agreement] between the "Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco" and the "Arma dei Carabinieri" has been signed to improve the forest fire fighting activities. The interoperability of data exchange that the agreement allows is based on the use of the CAP protocol.

===United States===

On September 30, 2010, the [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] (FEMA) officially adopted CAP as the protocol for its new [[Integrated Public Alert and Warning System]] (IPAWS), which is designed to disseminate emergency messages via various platforms, including broadcast media ([[Emergency Alert System]]), wireless devices ([[Wireless Emergency Alerts]]), and other platforms.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=385a5fb7-aa83-431d-80a1-3aa45296e3db|title=FCC revises emergency alert system rules; reminds participants of June 30, 2012 CAP compliance deadline|last1=Oxenford|first1=Davis Wright Tremaine LLP-David D.|last2=Tol|first2=Jennifer|website=Lexology.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-24|last3=Frewer|date=10 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2010/09/articles/fema-adopts-digital-message-format-for-eas-cap-standard-triggering-180-day-clock-for-compliance/|title=FEMA Adopts Digital Message Format for EAS CAP Standard, Triggering 180-Day Clock for Compliance|date=2010-09-30|website=Broadcast Law Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-24}}</ref>

According to a CAP 1.0 Fact Sheet,<ref>http://www.incident.com/cookbook/index.php/CAP_Fact_Sheet</ref> CAP implementations have been demonstrated by agencies and companies including: [[United States Department of Homeland Security]]; [[National Weather Service]]; [[United States Geological Survey]]; [[California Office of Emergency Services]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edis.oes.ca.gov|title=Emergency Digital Information Service (EDIS)|work=ca.gov|access-date=2019-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509183844/http://edis.oes.ca.gov/|archive-date=2008-05-09|dead-url=yes}}</ref> [[Virginia Department of Transportation]]; NDS, Ltd.; GeoDecisions, Inc.; Blue292; Warning Systems, Inc.; Comlabs, Inc.; mobileFoundations; Ship Analytics; AlertSense (formerly MyStateUSA); IEM, Inc.; Hormann America, Inc.; Oregon RAINS; Alerting Solutions, Inc. and others.

== See also ==

It is also mentioned by the [[Internet Society]] in its 2005 "Public Warning Network Challenge".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isoc.org/challenge/|title=The Internet Rises to the Challenge of Public Warning|work=isoc.org}}</ref>

* [[1seg]]

* [[Broadcast Markup Language]]

In early 2005, the U.S.&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in partnership with the [[Association of Public Television Stations]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apts.org|title=Association of Public Television Stations|work=apts.org}}</ref> demonstrated CAP-based "digital EAS" broadcasts over public television digital TV transmitters and satellite links in the [[Washington, D.C.]] area and nationwide.

CAP is the foundation technology for the national "[[Integrated Public Alert and Warning System]]", an all-hazard, all-media national warning architecture developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in consultation with DHS, the [[National Weather Service]] within NOAA, and the [[Federal Communications Commission]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2010-06-24 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629014918/http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/ |archivedate=2010-06-29 |df= }}</ref>

== References ==

Line 60 ⟶ 59:

==External links==

*[httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20160611053603/https://botterell.net/CAP/ The CAP Cookbook: Archive of early CAP documents]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061001162846/http://www.fema.gov/pdf/media/2006/deas_fact_sheet.pdf DEAS and Department of Homeland Security]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080908043938/http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/ipaws/ipaws_factsheetIPAWS_factsheet.pdf U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency "Integrated Public Alert and Warning System" (IPAWS) fact sheet.]

*[http://docs.oasis-open.org/emergency/cap/v1.2/CAP-v1.2-os.html OASIS documentation on CAP v1.2]

*[http://docs.oasis-open.org/emergency/edxl-cap-logo/v1.0/edxl-cap-logo-v1.0.html official CAP Logos]