Satellites Ready to Alert and Warn

 

States Making Own Plans

Despite this uptick in activity and the planned migration to the DEAS, a growing number of states are deploying their own satellite-based emergency alerts, warnings and notification systems. For example, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has deployed the Comlabs Emergency Management Network (EMNet) system to replace the legacy terrestrial teletype-based networks deemed too fragile and much susceptible to widespread failures during periods of disaster. EMNet provides direct connectivity to 372 terminals statewide located at commercial TV and radio stations, 62 cable TV company locations throughout the commonwealth and all county 911 centers.

In 2003, Illinois began a program to install a secure satellite-based communications system using EMNet that will link the state emergency operations center with Chicago and the six collar counties that surround the city. The original pilot installation was tested during the federal terrorism exercise, Top Officials 2. During this Congressionally-mandated national terrorism exercise, the effectiveness of the system was proven, which lead to the decision to expand the system statewide, according to says Tom Mefferd, director of the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

In the latest phase of a seven-part expansion plan which already encompasses an estimated 500 sites across Illinois, 1,200 fire departments will have EMNet terminals installed. In addition, DuPage and Kane counties have installed the system in a variety of local command and control, dispatch, and hospital facilities throughout their respective counties. In DuPage County, a project is underway to install EMNet terminals in each of the 42 school districts, which will allow the rapid sharing of emergency information and provide for a common secure format for any school health-related and localized emergency event reporting.

“This expansion is designed to enhance the statewide warning capability but also to speed the activation of statewide mutual aid assets during periods of emergency,” says Mefferd. Expansion of the system into the private sector also begun. “The flexibility provided by the vendor allows the private sector to share critical information needed to support their internal emergency operations while at the same time allowing the private sector to link into statewide and national warning networks. This allows real time reception of severe weather information as well as AMBER alerts as well as national security bulletins,” he says.

“The installation of a nationwide secure data communications system is critically important to interoperability and the sharing of operational intelligence. Currently 13 states and portions of Canada use the EMnet system,” says Mefferd. “The importance of rapid dissemination of warning and critical information is paramount. EMNet is nationwide in structure and ready for other states to plug into. A total interoperable system is critical to the sharing of emergency information. While some states are currently using this technology, the system’s effectiveness could be greatly enhanced if it were used nationwide on a daily basis.”

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