Common Alerting Protocol: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:54, 5 March 2005

Revision as of 04:09, 11 June 2005

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The '''Common Alerting Protocol''' (CAP) is a simple but general format for exchanging allhazardall-hazard emergency [[AMBER Alert|alerts]] and [[Emergency population warning|public warnings]] over all kinds of networks. CAP allows a consistent warning message to be disseminated simultaneously over many different warning systems, thus increasing warning effectiveness while simplifying the warning task. CAP also facilitates the detection of emerging patterns in local warnings of various kinds, such as might indicate an undetected hazard or hostile act. And CAP provides a template for effective warning messages based on best practices identified in academic research and real-world experience.

Advances in technology, and higher expectations by the public have significantly complicated alert and warning procedures. There is a vast array of systems and equipment being fielded by a multitude of agencies. Unfortunately, these systems and technologies are generally developed without regard for how other related systems and equipment function. As a result, emergency managers and decision makers are faced with the task of operating several different warning systems nearly simultaneously. The alert message is generated separately in each system, often by different people or agencies. This results in the community receiving, at minimum, inconsistently worded messages and in the worst case, conflicting warning messages. The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) was defined as a basic protocol for all warning systems. This is the first step in developing a truly integrated and seamless alert and warning system Current Users of the CAP Protocol:

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Existing nationwide systems are limited in scope both by their technological legacies and by the organizational mandates and priorities of their sponsoring agencies. In particular, none of the existing national systems are entirely suited to the needs of state, local and private emergency-information programs. As a result, dozens of different technical and operational warning systems have sprouted, seemingly at random, throughout the nation6. As we previously stated, the public expects rapid and accurate emergency warning, and they want all the various information technologies to be used to broadcast the warning. The chief benefit of CAP will be reduction of costs and operational complexity by eliminating the need for multiple custom software interfaces to the many warning sources and dissemination systems involved in all-hazard warning. The CAP message format can be converted to and from the “native” formats of all kinds of sensor and alerting technologies, forming a basis for a technology-independent national and international “warning internet.”

In addition to pushing emergency data to its various warning devices, the protocol also creates a capability that allows sensors of various types (water levels, chemical detectors, wind sensors) to feed data to decision makers in a format that can be easily displayed on a computer-based situation map. An example of this capability is the Emergency Digital Information System (EDIS) used in California. ArtAn Botterellindependent developer has developeddeployed an EDIS Alert Monitoring software application7application that displays the various EDIS messages on a state map. Based upon the geographic information and type of warning message issued, the software draws a polygon on the map showing the affected area. By feeding information from CAP based sensors into the system, emergency manager can obtain near-real-time data and have it automatically displayed on the situation map. An example might be capturing the river level data from the California Data Exchange Center and, when river levels reach a specific level of concern, an icon appears on the map. By clicking on this icon, you’re able to read the data message from the sensor.

== Where are we now? ==

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=== Standards Development ===

The CAP 1.0 specification was approved by OASIS in April, 2004. The [http://www.oasis-open.org Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS)] is a not-for-profit, international consortium that drives the development, convergence and adoption of e-business standards. Members themselves set the OASIS technical agenda, using a lightweight, open process expressly designed to promote industry consensus and unite disparate efforts. OASIS produces worldwide standards for security, web services, conformance, business transactions, supply chain, public sector, and interoperability within and between marketplaces. The Emergency Management Technical Committee of OASIS has approved a draft specification for the Common Alerting Protocol Version 1.0 and it is currently in balloting by the full OASIS membership for adoption as an OASIS Standard.

Based on experience with CAP 1.0, the OASIS [http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/emergency Emergency Management Technical Committee] has drafted a CAP 1.1 specification, which was released for public comment in May, 2005.

=== Current Implementations ===

According to a "CAP 1.0 Fact Sheet," 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; Virginia Department of Transportation; GeoDecisions, Inc.; E Team; Blue292; Warning Systems, Inc.; Comlabs, Inc.; mobileFoundations; Ship Analytics; MyStateUSA; IEM, Inc.; Hormann America, Inc.; Oregon RAINS. Below are the details from some of the implementations10implementations:

The National Weather Service (US Dept of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)"has an experimental feed of all its watches, warnings and advisories in CAP format,". See the document [http://www.nws.noaa.gov/alerts "Experimental Listings of Watches, Warnings, and Advisories,"] which "provides access to NWS watches, warnings and advisors, listed by state in three different formats. Select a state name to view a list of active alerts in your web browser. These files are updated about every two minutes. Select a state name to see the list for a state. RSS and CAP/XML lists are provided to aid the automated dissemination of this information. More information on RSS and CAP/XML formats/feeds... NWS Alert CAP messages contain the county FIPS code information for the affected county in the cap:geocode tags. Additional cross references to NWS forecast zones is available..."

The State of California, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, Emergency Digital Information Service (EDIS) "delivers official information about emergencies and disasters to the public and the news media in California." EDIS has public feed for EDIS bulletins in CAP format at http://www.edis.ca.gov/cap_1.0.

[http://www.hormannamerica.com HormannAmerica, Inc.] - A specialist in warning systems, current maintainer and developer of the Contra Costa County, California Community Warning System. HormannAmerica is developing a pilot CAP Server to support the dissemination of County related Hazards CAP alerts across the county. Additionally HormannAmerica is developing a "BAMBox solution" to create alert popups on user PCs that are connected to the CAPServer networks.

During early 2005 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in partnership with the Association of Public Television Stations, demonstrated "digital EAS" broadcasts over public television digital TV transmitters and satellite links in the Washington, D.C. area and nationwide.

CAP has been selected as a foundation technology for the proposed "Integrated Public Alert and Warning System," an all-hazard, all-media national warning architecture being developed by DHS, the National Weather Service and the Federal Communications Commission. CAP is also being studied as an integrating technology for an enhanced [[Tsunami warning system]] and is cited in the [[Internet Society]]'s 2005 [[http://www.isoc.org/challenge/ "Public Warning Network Challenge"]].

== Where are we going and how can users get involved? ==