Emergency Alerting: Capabilities Have Improved, but Additional Guidance and Testing Are Needed

An effective system to alert the public during emergencies can help reduce property damage and save lives. The Government Accountability Office was asked to review recent efforts to implement the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and improve the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

GAO examined: (1) how IPAWS capabilities have changed since 2009 and what barriers, if any, affect its implementation and (2) results of the nationwide EAS test and federal efforts to address identified weaknesses. GAO reviewed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other documentation, and interviewed industry stakeholders and alerting authorities from six locations that were selected because they have public-alerting systems in addition to EAS and experienced problems during the nationwide EAS test. GAO recommends that FEMA work in conjunction with FCC to establish guidance for states to fully implement and test IPAWS components and implement a strategy for regular nationwide EAS testing. In response, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concurred with GAO’s recommendations and provided examples of actions aimed at addressing the recommendations.

[GAO-13-375, April 24]