Public Safety Alerts

A public safety alert is a cautionary signal from the state to the general public about potential danger. These alerts are issued when a public safety concern might result in severe or fatal harm without prompt action. Typically, a public safety alert is broadcasted to raise the degree of protection in hazardous situations, and interested parties must take action within a reasonable timeframe.

The government leverages commercial or private infrastructure designed to rapidly or continuously disseminate alerts to the public. The simplest of these systems were sirens that would ring in the event of danger and alert the public to prepare for any risky scenario. As technology evolved, those sirens were replaced with notifications disseminated electronically via social media, mobile devices, and other means.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are transmitted to wireless devices based on location and relevance. These warnings are issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Examples of wireless emergency alerts:

• Amber Alerts (for missing children)
• Silver Alerts (for missing adults)

Local and national Emergency Alert System (EAS) alerts are broadcast on television and radio. These alerts are dispatched by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS uses EASs to warn the public about severe weather and natural disasters on a local and state level.

The opt-in alert systems vary only by location, but the reasons people are warned are the same. For example, opt-in alerts include warnings about extreme weather, natural disasters, road closures, missing persons, or evacuations. Local agencies also post opt-in alert systems, but unlike WEAs and EAS, these alerts require self-registration or signup.

The public safety management team must ensure everyone has the most up-to-date information during an emergency. Depending on an emergency’s level of urgency and potential danger, ENSs must provide information quickly.

Here are some essential criteria to consider when choosing an ENS for your organization.

It is critical to select an ENS for your organization that has a high level of intelligence and a high percentage of effective emergency notifications transmitted. In addition, ensure that the ENS can handle an unlimited number of contacts and messages and a constant stream of risk updates.

Importing and maintaining a vast volume of public contact information is an essential feature of smart ENS. Moreover, a cutting-edge ENS needs online mapping.

In addition to calls and emails, the ENS should provide multiple message transmission and reception methods. Additionally, it must be capable of distributing information and updates quickly through social media or any other available channel.

Messages that are successfully sent may not reach their intended destination, resulting in safety breaches. Organizations can utilize metrics from notifications to assess an ENS. Likewise, users should be able to resend alerts to people who failed to receive the first ones. The ENS system must provide real-time information.