Re: [emergency] FEMA IPAWS Note on CAP Profile

["Art Botterell" <ABott@so.cccounty.us>]

Please note that nothing in that statement describes any need for the DHS "requirements" document to be included in the OASIS draft for public review.  

I'm pleased, in fact, to read that DHS acknowledges that the OASIS work will be, at most, only "part of its [DHS'] standards and protocols."  Thus we needn't feel any obligation to try to include everything under the sun in OASIS documents.

However I'm not sure exactly how the word "adjudicating" is being used here, as both OASIS and DHS are described as doing that.  It does sound impressive, though.

- Art



Art Botterell, Manager
Community Warning System
Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
50 Glacier Drive
Martinez, California 94553
(925) 313-9603
fax (925) 646-1120

>>> "Dwarkanath, Sukumar - INTL" <Sukumar_Dwarkanath@sra.com> 2/19/2009 11:12 AM >>>
All, 

 

Following a request from the FEMA IPAWS Program, I am forwarding the
below statement. 

 

Thanks 

 

Sukumar

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------

 

 History: 

 

- In short, per the FCC's 2nd Report & Order in 12 Jul 07, the FCC
deferred adoption of standards and protocols for the EAS system to FEMA.
A 180-day implementation clock starts for industry upon FEMA's adoption
of its standards and protocols.

- On 30 Jul 08, FEMA announced in a press release that it will be
working with its federal, state, local and industry partners, including
OASIS, to develop its standards and protocols.  At that time, FEMA gave
notice to the community that it intends on adopting its standards and
protocols by 1QCY09, or 31 Mar 09.

- On 25 Sep 08, the EAS-CAP Industry Group (ECIG) published its draft
CAP Profile.

- On 22 Oct 08, FEMA and DHS S&T conducted a teleconference with the
ECIG and discussed our plans and activities with them, including the
OASIC process.

- On 12 Dec 08, FEMA published a draft Profile Requirements document to
the OASIS Profiles Sub-Committee and to the ECIG and the ATIS/TIA Joint
CMAS standard development working group.  The FEMA draft Profile
Requirements document addressed only one exchange partner system, namely
EAS.

- Since 12 Dec 08, the OASIS Profiles SC has been adjudicating
contributions from FEMA, DHS S&T, from within the SC (including NOAA and
HazCollect), and from subject matter experts from the ECIG and ATIS/TIA
to develop a draft IPAWS CAP Profile.  FEMA welcomed the expansion of
scope for the Profile development to include other exchange partner
systems by including CMAS and HazCollect in addition to EAS.

 

Statement:

 

FEMA and DHS S&T acknowledge that not every community member is aware of
the OASIS process or is able to participate in the OASIS process.  We
have been engaging Emergency Managers via a separate Practitioners
Working Group (PWG) and plan to engage Industry via a separate Industry
Engagement Day (IED) later this month.  We have asked the PWG to provide
comments on the original Profile Requirements document from Dec 08.  We
intend to adjudicate all comments on the Profile Requirements document
in order to refine the Profile Requirements document.  Further, as the
OASIS Profile document has developed, that document has addressed many
of the matters from the Profile Requirements document.  We intend on
offering all comments to the FEMA Profile Requirements document as
contributions to the OASIS Profiles SC to help shape the OASIS IPAWS CAP
Profile as well.

 

FEMA's goal is to fulfill its responsibilities under the FCC's 2nd R&O
to adopt standards and protocols for the Next-Generation EAS system.
The OASIS standards-making process offers a public, open, fair, and
rigorous forum for gathering and adjudicating all contributions from all
members of the community.  The community requests a single CAP message
for use among multiple dissemination systems, which we have called
exchange partners.  We welcome contributions from the whole community in
order to develop a singular OASIS IPAWS CAP Profile that will address
constraints on the CAP v1.1 standard among all exchange partners.

 

It is FEMA's responsibility to publish its standards and protocols.
FEMA will consider and adjudicate the OASIS IPAWS CAP Profile as
appropriate in preparation for its adoption of standards and protocols
for the Next-Generation EAS.  FEMA recognizes that the FCC's 2nd R&O
does not require standards and protocols to be published at this time
regarding security, multiple languages, alerts & warnings of special
needs communities, or of video media types.  Hence, we feel that it is
reasonable to consider adopting the OASIS IPAWS CAP Profile as part of
its pending standards and protocols.  Note, however, in accordance with
statements made publicly, that FEMA intends on pursuing the development
of additional requirements to address any outstanding issues for NG-EAS
systems.

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------------

Sukumar Dwarkanath

Touchstone

SRA International

1920 N Street NW 

Washington DC 20002

 

Sukumar_Dwarkanath@sra.com <mailto:sukumar.dwarkanath@touchstone.com> 

202-449-7761 (direct)

703-629-4074 (mobile)

202-338-6106 (fax)

 

 

 

 

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