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Content Archive

Archive of content that is from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.

  • S&T FRG WEA Optimizing Ability Message Receipt People Disabilities

    In 2014, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate funded the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Center for Advanced Communications Policy to examine and report on how to optimize Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) message receipt by people with disabilities. Reaching people with disabilities, including the deaf and hard of hearing, with WEA messages is critical, in part because people with disabilities utilize and depend on wireless devices, including mobile phones at more than 96 percent. Their devices become even more important during emergencies.

  • S&T FRG WEA - Public Sentiment

    The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service has been in use since April 2012, and there is a growing base of commercial mobile service subscribers who receive WEA messages. Therefore, it is an opportune time to assess to the public’s sentiment towards WEA and improve the communication of information related to the alert. Public sentiment towards WEA messages can be assessed by analyzing user discussions in online (e.g., news, blogs) and social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) platforms.

  • S&T FRG WEA CMSP Cybersecurity Guidelines

    This report presents the results of a study of the CMSP element of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) pipeline conducted by the CERt Division at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI).

  • S&T FRG WEA Computer Model Simulation Results

    This document describes work undertaken as part of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) Program, formerly known as Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS), at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T). A computer model was developed for the purposes of investigating WEA system performance under specific scenarios and to identify recommended enhancements. This report presents the modeling approach and the results of the simulations performed using the model. The results highlight potential improvements that should be considered by DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in future iterations of WEA.

  • S&T FRG WEA Cybersecurity Risk Management Strategy Alert Originators

    The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation (RDT&E) program, formerly known as the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS) RDT&E program, is a collaborative partnership that includes the cellular industry, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). The Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute supported DHS S&T by developing a cybersecurity risk management (CSRM) strategy to ensure accurate, timely dissemination of alerts despite attempted or successful attacks on the cyber infrastructure that supports the WEA service.

  • S&T FRG WEA Integration Strategy

    The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, formerly known as the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS), is a collaborative partnership that includes the cellular industry, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate. This report, Study of Integration Strategy Considerations for Wireless Emergency Alerts, supports the WEA Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation (RDT&E) program by identifying and analyzing key WEA adoption issues.

  • S&T FRG WEA Maximizing Trust

    Trust is a key factor in the effectiveness of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, formerly known as the Commercial Mobile Alert Service. Alert originators (AOs) at emergency management agencies (EMAs) must trust WEA to deliver alerts to the public in an accurate and timely manner.

  • S&T FRG WEA Mobile Penetration Strategy

    On December 22, 2008, a retention pond dam in Roane County, Tennessee, broke, spilling over a billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry into the Emory River and the surrounding countryside. The Emory River flows into the Tennessee River, which supplies water to millions of people.

  • S&T FRG WEA System Enhancement Recommendations

    This document describes several recommended enhancements for the operation, performance, and maintenance of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), formerly known as the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS). The recommendations are partially based on the results of a previous Computer Model and Simulation Results study undertaken as part of the WEA Program at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). In addition to this study, potential use cases of WEA and engineering best practices for secure and highly reliable systems were considered for inclusion in this document.

  • S&T FRG WEA NYC Demo LL Report

    The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service, formerly known as the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS), is a new national capability for delivering geographically-targeted alerts to the public on mobile devices. This report describes the adoption of the WEA service by the New York City Office of Emergency Management (NYC OEM).

Last Updated: 11/13/2021
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