TeleCommunication Systems Inc. (TCS) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) have connected its Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s alert aggregator using a customized implementation of TCS' Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) gateway product. When fully operational, PBS WARN will allow cellular providers a free backup method of receiving Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) messages. The connection to FEMA is a key step in implementing the WARN project and providing this service to cellular companies.
News Facts:
The PBS WARN system will deliver CMAS emergency alerts (also known as WEA) via free, over-the-air digital TV signals broadcast by PBS member stations and other non-commercial licensees who receive the PBS satellite feed. Cell phone subscribers of participating carriers in the geo-targeted area will receive these critical messages as 90-character text messages with a unique alert tone.
WEA messages include presidential emergency alerts, AMBER Alerts and warnings of imminent national and local threats to life and property, such as natural and man-made disasters.
Serving as a redundant pathway for the FEMA's WEA emergency notifications, the PBS WARN system will provide wireless carriers with a reliable and cost-effective method for strengthening their connection to FEMA and ensuring that mobile subscribers stay informed during times of emergency.
Established by the WARN Act in 2006, WEA is a voluntary national emergency alert system that is designed to deliver critical messages to the public.
This standards-based service utilizes the Common Alert Protocol (CAP), the international next generation emergency alert standard, and allows government entities to more quickly and easily issue emergency alerts to a mobile operator¹s subscribers in geo-targeted areas. By utilizing this international standard, mobile operators are able to tie directly into a government¹s existing alert stream that may already be used with radio and TV broadcast mediums.
As one of the few vendors serving national mobile network operators, the U.S. government and public safety officials, TCS provides mission-critical, life-saving technology that is currently deployed and field tested with national and regional commercial mobile service providers (CMSPs).
TCS¹CMAS is built on the proven, patented and highly resilient TCSVoyager platform, used today in emergency-based and mission-critical TCS solutions.
The PBS WARN system is based on a customized implementation of TCS¹ CMAS gateway product, is FEMA-certified with full compliance to the J-STD-101 ³C² interface specification and has been independently validated and verified by FEMA using the J-STD-102 standard test plan.
