FW: Proposed CAP 1.2 Revision - Definition of <severity> Minor

[<doug.allport@capan.ca>]

OASIS Emergency TC

 

I’m a new OASIS member, and I would like to propose a change to the definition of <severity> “Minor” for inclusion in CAP 1.2. If I’m not following protocol, please let me know.

 

The change is as follows:

 

Current: “Minimal threat to life or property”

 

Proposed: “Minimal to no known threat to life or property”

 

Justification: CAP is being used in Canada for all alerts related to a major event including road closures, public service disruptions, shelters being opened, etc. These events have no known threat to life or property, leaving the issuer the choice of identifying it as a minor threat or unknown. I discussed this with Art a couple of years ago, and correct me if I’m wrong Art, but I believe we identified it as a small oversight for future consideration. I note that the original draft of CAP – Canadian Profile included a note that this was the case.

 

An alternative approach is to add another <severity> value, however, I prefer the change proposed.

 

Cheers,

 

Doug Allport

Executive Director

Canadian Association for Public Alerting and Notification (www.CAPAN.ca)

Doug.Allport@CAPAN.ca

(613) 271-1040

 

PS. As an introduction, and update on CAP in Canada, I note that I conceived and drafted the original Canadian Profile of CAP (CAP-CP), having had the honour of making the PPW motion (as a Trustee) to endorse and sponsor CAP for OASIS standardization (…and to get us out of Art’s way!). I currently lead a team (which includes Jacob Westfall) that has defined a CAP “layer” specific to defining event location. Ex. Parameter values identifying point, line and polygon which define the event location. This layer is being used in a new provincial multi-agency situational awareness system (which I’ve been managing the development of) that captures alerts in CAP-CP and makes them available in GeoRSS (not promoted at this time, as system in early pilot mode during a flood event). This layer, along with CAP-CP Beta 0.3 (completed earlier today), are to be available on the website of the Canadian Association for Public Alerting and Notification (www.CAPAN.ca) late next week.  I’ll emphasize that I’m not an engineer, but did muddle my way through inventing and patenting the telephony alerting method once promoted by Bellcore/Telcordia, which was deployed by an ILEC here in Canada. I will be making a poster presentation on CAP-CP and this new layer at the World Conference on Disaster Management. We might also be demonstrating the new provincial system there. I hope I can add value to the great work of this TC!