Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Outreach Plan for Communications and Partner Engagement

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under Presidential Executive Order 13407, has clear directives to: Consult, coordinate, and cooperate with the private sector, including communications media organizations, and Federal, State, territorial, tribal and local governmental authorities, including emergency response providers; Ensure the conduct of public education efforts so that State, territorial, tribal, and local governments, the private sector, and the American people understand the functions of the public alert and warning system and how to access, use, and respond to information from the public alert and warning system; and, Ensure the conduct of training, tests, and exercises for the public alert and warning system. Additionally, in the 2009 General Accounting Office (GAO) report, Improved Planning and Coordination Necessary for Modernization and Integration of Public Alert and Warning System, the GAO recommended "increased coordination and consultation with partners." The IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) enthusiastically accepted the challenge evidenced by its "Strategic Plan for the Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems (IPAWS) Program - June 2010" ("Strategic Plan"). This IPAWS Outreach Plan establishes IPAWS' communication and partner engagement strategies to effectively accomplish this mission, vision, and goals stated in the IPAWS Strategic Plan. It also helps meet Executive Order 13407 directive and implements recommendations from the GAO report. The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program will modernize and enhance alert and warning delivery to the American public. Established by Presidential Executive Order 13407, the IPAWS Program brings together existing and new public alert and warning systems and technologies in order to provide government alerting authorities at all levels a broader range of message options and communications pathways. During an emergency, the IPAWS will facilitate timely delivery of alert and warning information over more media to more people before, during, and after a disaster. In the event of a national emergency, the President will be able to use the IPAWS to send a message to the American people quickly and simultaneously through multiple communications pathways. The IPAWS will also provide Federal, State, local, tribal and territorial governments with capability to integrate their alert and warning systems with the national alert and warning infrastructure. Through this, the IPAWS will increase resilience of local systems and provide additional means by which life-saving information is distributed during a crisis. The IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) is partnering with recognized government and industry leaders and technical experts to ensure the IPAWS program incorporates the latest technologies and is practical for prospective users. Partners include Federal Governance and Legislative, Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial Alerting Authorities, Private Sector Industry, Non-Profit and Advocacy, and the American People. The effectiveness of the program will be realized through a comprehensive outreach approach using strategic communications and robust partnership engagement coupled with integrated training and exercises. The IPAWS PMO will also reach out to the American people to ensure they understand how the IPAWS functions, what it is for, what it provides, and how they can "Get Alerts, Stay Alive."