This section contains information on the systems, standards, and infrastructure that support IPAWS.
There are several components within the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). The IPAWS Architecture Diagram shows how standards-based alert message protocols, authenticated alert message senders, and shared access and distribution networks work together to deliver alerts and warnings to public interface devices.
To read more on the individual components within IPAWS, visit the following pages:
IPAWS Systems
Emergency Alert System (EAS): the message dissemination pathway that sends warnings via broadcast, cable, satellite, and wireline services.
Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA): the message dissemination pathway that broadcasts alerts and warnings to cell phones and other mobile devices.
NOAA Weather Radio (NWR): a nationwide network of radio stations including 1000 transmitters covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories.
Internet Systems: The All-Hazards Emergency Message Collection System, also known as “HazCollect,” automatically relays Non-weather Emergency Messages (NWEMs) over the internet to subscribing software providers.
IPAWS Standards
Common Alerting Protocol (CAP): the digital format for exchanging emergency alerts that allows a consistent alert message to be disseminated simultaneously over many different communications systems.
IPAWS Profile: the standard for receipt and translation among devices intended to receive alerts from IPAWS.
IPAWS Infrastructure
Primary Entry Point Stations (PEP): private or commercial radio broadcast stations that cooperatively participate with FEMA to provide emergency alert and warning information to the public before, during, and after incidents and disasters.
IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN): the Federal alert aggregator that receives and authenticates messages transmitted by alerting authorities and routes them to existing and emerging public alerting systems.
IPAWS Testing
IPAWS Supported State and Regional Tests: the IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) supports efforts to improve IPAWS message delivery pathways and mitigate identified limitations by coordinating statewide and regional testing activities.
Testing with the IPAWS Lab at JITC: the IPAWS PMO provides public safety officials with a controlled IPAWS testing environment where alert and warning technologies can be exercised to assess capabilities and effectiveness with IPAWS.