The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Management Office (PMO) develops informational materials about IPAWS to increase understanding and awareness of this unique program. These materials are periodically updated as components of IPAWS mature and new information becomes available.
Search IPAWS’ digital library to find information about IPAWS. Email the IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) at ipaws@fema.dhs.gov if you are interested in learning more.
Governance and General IPAWS Information
IPAWS Strategic Plan FY14-FY18
Strategy that supports the IPAWS Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives. It is the cornerstone document upon which other programmatic and technical documents build.
2013/2014 IPAWS Strategic Outreach Plan (also en Español)
The IPAWS PMO, in partnership with alerting authorities, private sector partners, Federal governance partners, and non-profit and advocacy organizations, strengthens the nation’s alert and warning capabilities and provides educational and actionable information to the American people to ensure all segments of the American population understand the functions of IPAWS and how to respond to alerts and warnings from public safety officials.
IPAWS Architecture Diagram
Diagram showing 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.
IPAWS Glossary
Definitions of commonly used IPAWS terminology
Information for the American People
Overview of IPAWS for the American People
Local and State public safety officials, the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and private industry are working together to make sure the American people can receive alerts and warnings quickly through several different technologies at home, at school, at work, or even on vacation.
AMBER Alert Fact Sheet
WEAs about America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) alerts are sent from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in accordance with instructions from state AMBER coordinators. The AMBER alert program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.
Information for Public Safety Officials and Alerting Authorities
How to Sign Up for IPAWS
Four steps for alerting authorities interested in becoming authenticated to send alerts and warnings through IPAWS. Detailed instructions on how to sign up for IPAWS, with the necessary application form, are also available on the Alerting Authorities web page. (en Español)
Alerting Authorities Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
IPAWS provides authorized alerting authorities at all levels of government with the capability to integrate their alerts and warning systems with the national alert and warning infrastructure and send critical information to the public before, during, and after an emergency to allow the public to take the necessary actions to ensure their safety and minimize damage to property.
IPAWS Toolkit for Alerting Authorities
The IPAWS Toolkit for Alerting Authorities provides Federal, State, territorial, tribal and local public safety officials with resources to assist them as they adopt the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), incorporate IPAWS, and ensure their communities understand how to access, use, and respond to public alert and warning information.
Benefits of IPAWS for State and Local Alerting Authorities Fact Sheet
Key benefits for alerting authorities that complete authentication and use IPAWS
How Indian Tribal Governments Can Sign Up For Public Alert and Warnings
Tribal elected officials may designate emergency alerting authorities to apply for access to IPAWS for the purpose of sending public alerts and warnings within a tribe's jurisdiction.
Alerting People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs Fact Sheet
Describes how the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) enables alerting authorities to send rich, multimedia messages which can be incorporated with emerging assistive technologies to provide alerts and warnings to the whole community.
FY 2017 Supplemental Grant Guidance on Public Alert and Warnings
The purpose of the FY 2017 Supplemental Guidance on Public Alert and Warnings is to provide guidance to grantees on: public alert and warning activities that can be funded through Federal grants; technical standards that facilitate interoperability; and recommendations for planning, coordinating, and implementing alert and warning projects. DHS Announces Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Preparedness Grants
EAS (Emergency Alert System) Best Practices Guide
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) Best Practices Guide was created in partnership with EAS participants to support incremental improvements by providing basic guidelines for EAS operation and maintenance.
IPAWS Memorandum of Agreement Application Organizations wishing to alert through IPAWS may download a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Application. After completing, email the form to ipaws@fema.dhs.gov.
IPAWS Components
IPAWS-OPEN Fact Sheet
Describes the importance and features of the IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks, or IPAWS-OPEN, which authenticates and routes alerts and warnings to existing and emerging public alerting systems.
Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Implementation Fact Sheet
Descriptions of how the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is integrated into IPAWS and explains the benefits of using a single standard.
Emergency Alert System (EAS) Fact Sheet
The Emergency Alert System is a national public warning system that requires broadcasters, cable television systems, wireless cable systems, satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) providers, and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) providers to provide the President with communications capability to address the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency.
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