1/16/08 EIIP Virtual Forum Transcript: Sandia Labs and The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Amy Sebring: Good morning/afternoon everyone. And Happy New Year! We hope you had great holidays and thank you for joining us today. It is good to be back! Amy Sebring: Our topic today is "The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS): The Role of Sandia National Laboratories." Amy Sebring: We hope you got a chance to listen to our new Podcast preview feature, which is linked from today's Background Page. We will now have to learn to pronounce our speakers' names correctly! Amy Sebring: But this is a fun feature for us, and also gives you the chance to hear our speakers' voices. But this is a fun feature for us, and also gives you the chance to hear our speakers' voices. We plan to continue this feature in the future, and please note, you can subscribe to a Feed for the podcasts. Amy Sebring: There is a recent article on the Government Technology Web site titled "Local Amergency Alert Capabilities Not Keeping Pace with How 21st Century Citizens Receive and Process Information" (also linked from our Background Page.) Today we will hear about a federal effort to improve this situation. Amy Sebring: First, for the benefit of our first-timers, we will go over the order of business. We will begin with a presentation and then we will proceed to your questions and comments. Amy Sebring: We will provide further instructions just before we begin the Q&A section, and will be using our Moderation feature. You may want to begin composing during the presentation, but we ask you NOT to submit your question or comment until we get to that part of the program, ... Amy Sebring: since it is possible that your question will be addressed later in the presentation. In any case, please keep your remarks reasonably brief as we will be asking you NOT to compose multi-part questions. Amy Sebring: We will be using a few slides today. If you see a blue URL, you can click on it to view. If you have pop up blocking enabled you may want to open a second browser window for the slide to load in. If it tries to load in the window with the chat login, it will probably cut you off. Amy Sebring: A formatted transcript of today's session will be available by later this afternoon -- just check back on our home page or the background page (refresh the page if needed). If you cannot access the slides today, they will also be linked from the transcript and from the Background Page. Amy Sebring: Please take a moment after the session to rate this session in terms of usefulness of the information and/or write a short review or post your comment. I will mention more about that in our closing. Amy Sebring: Finally, please do not send private messages to our speaker or the Moderator, as we will be busy with the presentation. If you need assistance, you may send a private message to Avagene. Amy Sebring: Now it is my pleasure to introduce today's special guest. Ron Glaser currently manages the Systems Engineering Department at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and is SNL's point of contact for Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Coordination and Intelligence (C5I) systems. Amy Sebring: As part of the Transportation Safeguards and Surety Programs Group, he is the Program Manager for FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems (IPAWS) program. Amy Sebring: Ron has been the program manager for the SNL Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection (AT/FP) business area and the manager responsible for the Unconventional Nuclear Weapons Defense (UNWD) program for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Amy Sebring: Prior to joining the Security Systems and Technology Center in 1999, Ron was the Business Area manager for Information Systems Engineering Applications at SNL. Amy Sebring: Welcome Ron, and thank you for being with us today. I now turn the floor over to your to start us off please. Ron Glaser: Thanks! First let me start with answering the question: What is the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)? Ron Glaser: IPAWS is Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program begun in 2004 to improve public alert & warning in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), & other public/private stakeholders. Ron Glaser: From the Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned Report (2006): "DHS should establish an integrated public alert and warning system in coordination with all relevant departments and agencies." Ron Glaser: IPAWS is the Nation's next-generation emergency warning capability. IPAWS will work with public and private sectors to integrate warning systems to effectively communicate alerts via TV, radio, telephone, Internet/ computer, cell phone, and other personal communications devices. The IPAWS will allow: Ron Glaser: *the President (or designated Federal officials) to communicate to the American people before, during, and after a crisis, Ron Glaser: *the President and authorized Federal government officials to gain situational awareness from State and local emergency operations centers, Ron Glaser: *effective communications to State and territory agencies, Governors, tribal councils, and other alert and warning stakeholders, and *State and local emergency managers to send messages to residents during non- Federal emergencies. Ron Glaser: IPAWS supports FEMA's goal to reduce losses to life and property from all hazards by providing reliable and accurate information before, during and after an emergency. Ron Glaser: The first slide shows FEMA's end vision of IPAWS to deliver coordinated messages over more channels to more people, anywhere, anytime. http://www.emforum.org/vforum/IPAWS/slide01.htm Ron Glaser: IPAWS mission is to transform the national Emergency Alert System (EAS). Currently the EAS reaches ~12% of the listening population during the day and only about 1% at night. Also today's EAS distributed via television and radio provides audio-only alerts. Ron Glaser: The IPAWS goal is to reach 85% of the listening population in 10 minutes and to provide voice, text or video to all Americans including those with disabilities or who cannot understand English. Ron Glaser: Sandia's role is to: 1) Design, set up, and operate a pilot alert program for the 2007 hurricane season. An initial capability was deployed 1 August 2007. This pilot ended 31 December. Ron Glaser: 2) Develop and pilot new architecture for next hurricane season. This includes understanding the needs/requirements of users, developing a secure architecture for sending messages (internal and public), developing standards, and certifying vendors for interoperability. This will be a multiple year effort to develop the architecture/standards and roll it out nationally. Ron Glaser: This next slide shows the initial IPAWS pilot project focused on the three hurricane states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and lists the capabilities demonstrated/evaluated. http://www.emforum.org/vforum/IPAWS/slide02.htm Ron Glaser: The capabilities included: 1) Web Alert and Relay Network (WARN) Opt-in Software which allows emergency personnel to generate and control warnings via a web interface and provides multiple alerts and warnings to people who opt to receive notifications, Ron Glaser: 2) Emergency Telephone Notification (ETN) hardware to provide basic telephone notification (20,000 calls in 10 minutes) and enhanced ETN which provided additional hardware to increase call capacity to 60,000 ETN calls in 10 minutes, Ron Glaser: 3) the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Notification System (DHNS) to provide American Sign Language (ASL) translation of emergency messages to hearing impaired and to post those videos on the Internet, Ron Glaser: 4) the ability for Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) to remotely activate alert and warning devices such as sirens and tone alert radios, and Ron Glaser: 5) the ability for EOCs to issue alerts and warnings direct to local primary radio and TV stations over the Internet. Ron Glaser: This next slide is a graphic showing the Hurricane Season '07 pilot capability (circled) and some of the other potential capabilities for future consideration. In addition to other than over the air radio and TV, this includes cable and satellite transmission. http://www.emforum.org/vforum/IPAWS/slide03.htm Ron Glaser: A major future capability being worked with the FCC is the ability to do geo-targeted cell phone broadcasts independent of carrier and home location. Ron Glaser: The big question is how to provide coordination and interoperability in situations requiring cross enterprise messages. Many current architectures discuss message exchanges in terms of a single enterprise while a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) offers benefits from its ability to cross ownership boundaries, i.e. Federal, Regional, State, Local and Tribal. Ron Glaser: To be interoperable, crossing ownership boundaries must accommodate both technical (syntax, semantics) and policy aspects (access control, security). Interoperability among diverse participants requires a prearranged groundwork for communications and understanding supporting different policy and security contexts, incremental addition of services and participants, and needs to provide resource multiplication when adding another stakeholder. Ron Glaser: Slide 4 depicts the IPAWS interconnection question in pictorial form and also introduces the issue of an authentication boundary for policy enforcement and cross jurisdictional trust. http://www.emforum.org/vforum/IPAWS/slide04.htm Ron Glaser: The IPAWS vision is an architecture for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Coordination, Intelligence and Interoperability resulting in Situational Awareness from Customized Operational Pictures Based on Common Data. Ron Glaser: It includes a Federal Trans-Jurisdictional Grid interoperable across the multi-agency enterprises of Federal, Regional, State, Local, Tribes and the Public. It involves Choreographed Information Sharing based on Data-Content Routing within Communities of Interest. Ron Glaser: The architecture will provide Communications Surety (Security, Authentication, Robust Delivery) with Nation Wide Scalability. It will be built on Open Standards for Vendor Independent Plug-&-Play. Ron Glaser: The implementation plan is a The Trans-enterprise Services Grid (TSG). The TSG is a set of intersecting internet partitions defined by Communities of Interest (COIs), protected by Application Layer Routers/Firewalls called Secure Policy-oriented Object Routers (SPORs) that enforce COI Policies and Rules for Cross-Jurisdictional messaging. Ron Glaser: The TSG architecture is based on Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) Emergency Data eXange Language- Distribution Element (EDXL-DE) and Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) Standards. Ron Glaser: In summary, Sandia is tasked to develop, demonstrate and evaluate the interoperability of a secure architecture; to support integration and migration to standards and framework protocols. We have TSG/SPOR test beds under development and are testing a distributed TSG/SPOR infrastructure. Ron Glaser: Sandia is working with OASIS and others on Interface standards (CAP 1.1) and profiles. The Hurricane '07 Pilot Analysis, Tests results and lessons learned report is in preparation (due to FEMA ~ 1 February). Ron Glaser: One other piece of the IPAWS is project the supplier qualification program. Supplier Interoperability Opportunities will be communicated through our Supplier Webpage at http://public.ca.sandia.gov/IPAWSsuppliers/. Ron Glaser: This last slide provides some Sandia points of contact and useful web site URLs. http://www.emforum.org/vforum/IPAWS/slide05.htm Ron Glaser: This concludes my overview, and I will now turn the floor back over to our Moderator to start the Q&A portion of the program. Amy Sebring: Thank you very much Ron. Now, to proceed to your questions or comments... Amy Sebring: We are using the Moderation feature today. When you click on Send (or hit the Enter key), your question or comment will not go directly to the screen. Amy Sebring: Instead, it goes to a Moderator's Admin Panel, to be released into the chat at the appropriate time. We will take the questions or comments in the order submitted. Please be patient as it may take some time to get to yours, if there are several ahead of you. Amy Sebring: Again, please do NOT submit multi-part questions or very lengthy comments. Instead, if you have a second question or a follow up question, please compose and submit it separately. Amy Sebring: We are ready to begin now, and you can enter your question or comment anytime you are ready. Isabel McCurdy: Ron, what training is provided to learn IPAWS? Ron Glaser: Training is mostly the function of the suppliers... Ron Glaser: that will be contracted by the state and local EMs. Darryl Parker: Why was WSI the only CAP/XML source used for the EAS connection for the Hurrican '07 pilot in LA, MS, and AL? Ron Glaser: WSI was selected ... Ron Glaser: due to an existing contract by FEMA the previous year and the short timeframe we were given. Anthony Smith: What is the name of the working group that Sandia is involved with that is putting together the interoperability models & processes? Ron Glaser: The standards body we are working with is OASIS. Lloyd Colston: Moving forward, (and I'm excited about this), will there be a list of vendors who are adopting this technology? I know DMIS offers the "gateway". I am hearing more and more vendors offering the technology. I get concerned when I mention CAP and OPEN and get "deer in headlights" look. Ron Glaser: Yes. ... Ron Glaser: Part of the vision is to establish a process for "qualifying" vendors. Henry Black: When are the State Emergency Communications Committee Chairs being notified of IPAWS and the impact it will have on the current state and local EAS Plans? Ron Glaser: Have to defer that one to FEMA. ... Ron Glaser: We are still coordinating and working plans with them. Jeff Braun: You mentioned that three States were in Pilot Program, but the background material indicated other States, like Texas, Florida, etc....? Ron Glaser: Depending on available funding and FEMA decisions .... Ron Glaser: we are looking at expanding the number of states (FL and TX) as well as capability. Greg Donarum (NBCWaRN): Is there an API available for connection to your system? Ron Glaser: Will be. This is still being worked as we stand up the test capability. Ric Skinner: I presume there is a GIS component to IPAWS. What platform are you using? Ron Glaser: Yes. We are trying to stay vendor independent. Currently we are using Google Maps. Neil McDevitt: How does IPAWS differ from the DEAS projects that FEMA is piloting with public television stations in New Jersey and other states? Ron Glaser: IPAWS and DEAS (and other) FEMA pilots ... Ron Glaser: are to be integrated in the end. DEAS is more of the backbone ... Ron Glaser: interconnectivity, where IPAWS focuses more on the Alert and Warning to the public. Darryl Parker: Is there opportunity for other providers of CAP/XML messaging to contract with FEMA or Sandia for interoperability into EAS? Ron Glaser: Yes, definitely. .... Ron Glaser: Our proposal with FEMA for 08 is to use existing capabilities in the states and limit federal funding. Greg Donarum (NBCWaRN): Will you be participating in any tests or demonstrations this year (like the CWID trial DM-OPEN participated in last year)? Ron Glaser: Possibly.... Ron Glaser: It depends on resources. There are many opportunities. Bill Lang: Will these applications be susceptible to Internet attacks that could render them useless? Ron Glaser: That is one of the main considerations ... Ron Glaser: for the architecture and the SPOR capabilities. They will be evaluated by FEMA's accredidation support by the DoD Joint Interoperability Test Center (JITC). Larry Rundquist: Can you briefly explain the focus of the pilot study in Alaska? Ron Glaser: Sorry. I am not familiar with the details. NIMS SC: At what stage of development is IPAWS? Is it deployed, if not when will it be deployed? Ron Glaser: Sandia has a test bed in the process of ... Ron Glaser: being stood up in Albuquerque, which will be extended to our site in Calif. ... Ron Glaser: We are also proposing to deploy a limited capability for Hurricane 08. Amy Sebring: This next question may be a little off topic, but if you can address at all Ron, please do .... Michael Williams: The Wildland Residents Association-San Marcos Pass VFD utilize a low-power AM radio on 1040 AM, primarily for wildfire and flooding information. These stations include NOAA and associated EDS automated systems, and are becoming more popular. What efforts can be taken to protect these licensed stations (frequencies) form new broadcast licenses that could over power these low power stations? Ron Glaser: Outside of my area. I'm aware of the concern but have no input. Lloyd Colston: Will the system be web based or will the vendors have some "control" of the product they introduce to the masses? In other words, can the system be used, at the local level, on a smart phone without a "plugin" or client? Ron Glaser: It is up to the vendors and the states .... Ron Glaser: as to the capability they choose. IPAWS will provide .... Ron Glaser: the interconnecting infrastructure for cross-juridictional connections, and to reach federal agencies as desired. Ric Skinner: Are there opportunities for contractors to facilitate pilots or tests of the system in regional areas? I'm especially interested in the public health/hospital arena. Ron Glaser: I hope there will be. ... Ron Glaser: It will be up to FEMA and the States/Locals. Sandia will attempt to coordinate as much as we can. Adam Senn (Previstar): Where does IPAWS fit with the current DM OPEN services? It sounds like a replacement, or at least an alternative. I would think it best to not have multiple (competing?) networks. Ron Glaser: Agreed. ... Ron Glaser: We are talking with DHS and will attempt to coordinate/avoid duplication/leverage as much as possible. It's part of our program. Amy Sebring: A related question ... NIMS SC: We understand that EDXL-DE is an integral component of IPAWS. When will this be ready to operate like the OPEN backbone? Ron Glaser: Good question. I unfortunately am not the technical expert. .... Ron Glaser: Dave Ellis, who is my chief architecture expert can best answer that. Can I ask you to direct that question to him at the e-mail on the POC slide? Amy Sebring: I have a question. Are you using COI and jurisdiction interchangeably? That is, will the grid be organized based on geography and/or will it be geo-referenced? Ron Glaser: COI is broader .... Ron Glaser: than jurisdiction. It covers whatever agreements parties enter into beyond geography or jurisdiction. Bill Lang: Wonderful stuff by the way. Will business and the public still go through the local EM people and first responders to provide information to the network? I guess, I'm asking if there could be two way communication back from those receiving information to the people sending it. Like press 1 on your phone if the tornado is near you. Ron Glaser: Yes. ... Ron Glaser: we have seen interest in that at the state and local level. ... Ron Glaser: It will be driven by what emergency management is willing to pay for and vendors provide. Amy Sebring: Perhaps we need some clarification Ron ... Ron Glaser: OK. .... Amy Sebring: the general concept currently is to rely on state/local systems to provide the accesss... Amy Sebring: to a backbone operated by the Feds? Ron Glaser: Exactly! .... Ron Glaser: IPAWS is a FEMA-funded enabling cabability to provide interoperability of State and Local-funded systems. .... Ron Glaser: It is a State and Local responsibility to provide public alert and warning capability that the Federal government .... Ron Glaser: cannot over ride except in declared national emergency. Amy Sebring: And you are working with FCC for the commercial mobile gateway? Ron Glaser: Yes. .... Ron Glaser: Both FEMA and Sandia have representation on the various FCC working groups and are providing input. Amy Sebring: Thanks... Greg Donarum (NBCWaRN): Are there (will there be) National Guard units participating in your pilots? Ron Glaser: We have discussed and .... Ron Glaser: I hope so. Florida EOC: I've heard that FEMA is not planning to continue funding the Mystateusa/WSI program...true? Ron Glaser: FEMA has completed the 07 pilot. ..... Ron Glaser: and is looking to the 08 season with a new pilot. .... Ron Glaser: The current proposal that FEMA is still looking over .... Ron Glaser: calls for the 08 pilot to utilize .... Ron Glaser: only existing capability in the states/cities/etc. ... Ron Glaser: Those capabilities are of course dependent on whatever the states etc. have contracted for with their resources, including DHS and FEMA grants. Tony Scott: What role will/does NOAA play in providing infrastructure or information into IPAWS? Ron Glaser: NOAA is a FEMA partner in IPAWS and we are working with NOAA/NWS. Ralph Aubry: Will IPAWS accept CAP v1.1 directly or will the CAP message have to be encapsulated in EDXL-DE? Ron Glaser: The plan is to accept CAP ... Ron Glaser: 1.1 except that there are various versions of 1.1. We are looking forward to 2.0. Amy Sebring: Final question for today. Are you aware of the upcoming Open GIS Consortium demonstration project for core services? If so, how does that relate to the work at Sandia? Ron Glaser: We are aware .... Ron Glaser: and talking with OGC about how CAP and EDXL-DE will be evaluated. ..... We hope to learn from their experiment/test beds. Amy Sebring: That's all we have time for today. Thank you very much Ron for an excellent job. We hope you enjoyed the experience. Please stand by just a moment while we make a couple of quick announcements... Amy Sebring: Again, the formatted transcript will be available later today. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to get notices of future sessions and availability of transcripts, just go to our home page to Subscribe. Amy Sebring: Before we adjourn, please take a moment now, or after you review the transcript to Rate today's session and/or write a review or post your comments. You can access the form either from today's Background Page or from our home page. Amy Sebring: If you do not have time to write a short review or comment, then please just take a moment to do the rating. It should take less than a minute, and will assist future visitors to our site to find useful information. Amy Sebring: We are very pleased to announce THREE new partners today! Amy Sebring: Cabell County, WV - Emergency Response Center (911); URL: http://www.ccerc911.org ; POC: Steven M. Rutherford, Supervisor. Amy Sebring: "It is the mission of Cabell County 911 and its employees to contribute to the safety of the public, police, fire and EMS personnel by making diligent, prompt, and accurate responses a priority." Amy Sebring: Fire Services Training Institute; URL: http://www.cafsti.org ; POC: Michael S. Williams, President-Executive Director. Amy Sebring: "The primary mission of the Fire Services Training Institute-FSTI is to provide quality training and promote firefighter safety." Amy Sebring: The City of Richmond, CA Fire Dept. Office of Emergency Services; URL: http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/oes ; POC: Kathryn Gerk, CEM, Emergency Services Manager. Amy Sebring: "RFD OES is the support arm of government that is responsible for gathering data, developing plans and coordinating response capabilities to prepare for, mitigate the hazards, respond to and recover from any major emergency that may impact the City of Richmond." Amy Sebring: If your organization is interested in becoming an EIIP Partner to show your support, please see the link to Partnership for You from our home page. Amy Sebring: Also, if you have not done so already, please check out our RSS feeds for news summaries and emergency management related Webcasts via links on our home page menu. The links to the left of the RSS icons will also take you to archives of the news and Webcast events. Amy Sebring: Thanks to everyone for participating today. As I mentioned at the beginning, it is very good to be back and we are looking forward to a great 2008! Amy Sebring: We stand adjourned but before you go, please help me show our appreciation to Ron for a fine job.