IPAWS Users Conference
Videos & Slides Online

FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) welcomed Alerting Administrators, Alert Originators, Public Safety Officers, Public Information Officers, vendors and developers to the 2023 IPAWS Users Conference. The mission: To help you create effective alerts and become a confident IPAWS user.

You can view videos and download presentation slides from the conference web page or from the list below.

Sessions

The Alert on Behalf (AOB) Process  Video / Slides

Sometimes during an emergency, Alerting Authorities may not be able to issue alerts due to various technical issues. To address this, IPAWS is encouraging Alerting Authorities to implement an alert escalation process to utilize during times of need.

IPAWS Program Status  Video / Slides

Wade Witmer, IPAWS Deputy Director, informed users about the new certification process for Alerting Authorities and Alert Origination Software providers.

IPAWS National Test  Video / Slides

Ward Hagood, Engineering Manager for Testing and Evaluation at IPAWS, presented information around the Oct. 4, 2023, IPAWS National Test of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). Ward shared what Alerting Authorities could expect during the National Test.

A Decade of Wireless Emergency Alerts  Video / Slides

More than 10 years of research has been done on Wireless Emergency Alerts. Dr. Michele Olson, Program Manager and Senior Research Scientist, shares how this research influences the design and training of the Message Design Dashboard.

Message Design Dashboard  Video / Slides

The ability to craft effective messages, that is, those that are complete, clear, certain, and consistent, with the power to motivate action, remains a challenge for many risk communicators. Dr. Jeannette Sutton, Associate Professor and Director of the Emergency Risk Communications Message Testing Lab at the State University of New York at Albany, presented the Message Design Dashboard. Dr. Sutton explored how the dashboard will help emergency managers quickly write effective messages for public alerts and warnings.

IPAWS User Portal  Video / Slides

The IPAWS User Portal is the central hub for managing your Alerting Authority’s profile. Kevin Williams, IT Specialist with Customer Support, walks through the IPAWS User Portal features and informs users how to take advantage of its capabilities.

TSSF Services and Capabilities  Video / Slides

The IPAWS Technical Support Staff discussed the latest projects to support Alerting Authorities, including the WEA Demo Application – now available for download – and the recently released IPAWS Best Practices Guide.

Monthly Proficiency Demonstrations with TSSF Scenarios  Video / Slides

The IPAWS Technical Support Staff discussed the Monthly Proficiency Demonstration status, why it is important, and how it is enforced. The team also discussed using scenarios for Alerting Authorities' Monthly Proficiency Demonstrations.

IPAWS Alerting Tools Portal  Video / Slides

Mark Lucero, IPAWS Engineering Branch Chief, explored the IPAWS Alerting Tools Portal and previewed what is included for IPAWS Alerting Authorities.

The Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) is FEMA's national system for local alerting that provides authenticated emergency and life-saving information through mobile phones with Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), to radio and TV via the Emergency Alert System (EAS), on NOAA Weather Radio and on digital media via the IPAWS All-Hazards Information Feed.

Contact the IPAWS Office at fema-ipaws-stakeholder-engagement@fema.dhs.gov.