Integrated Public Alert and Warning System IPAWS Use

Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Use of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) Notifications in Morton County, North Dakota Tom Doering Morton County Emergency Manager

Introduction IPAWS Installation and Use Last March, Morton County was authorized use of IPAWS. Our IPAWS vendor is Alert Sense which the State of North Dakota offered to each county and tribe in the state at no charge. At our April 21, 2015 Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting, we presented our mass public notification capabilities to key officials and reviewed our draft IPAWS policy.

IPAWS Policy Authorized Personnel The Morton County system administrators shall maintain a listing of authorized personnel to include Communications Specialists as part of Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) responsibilities. Each authorized user will be provided an Alert Sense User Name and Password for accessing IPAWS. Only authorized personnel shall have access to the system. Morton County Emergency Management has responsibility for system administration, maintenance and designation of authorized users.

IPAWS Policy - continued Purpose and Use of the System Morton County will not send notifications via IPAWS for severe weather. This continues to be a responsibility of the National Weather Service (NWS).

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy Morton County notifications using IPAWS will be transmitted per this policy: • Authorized IPAWS users will take IS-247 and provide the Emergency Manager their successful completion certificate. • Morton County notifications using IPAWS will be transmitted per this policy at the request of the Incident Commander (IC). • The IC will be one of the first arriving Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) or Fire Department (FD) officials most in authority for responding to the incident. (For example: Fire and hazmat incidents will have a FD IC and criminal incidents will have a LEA IC. When Unified Command is implemented, all agency commanders have equal authority for coordinating IPAWS notifications. )

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy - continued • For incidents where a State Agency Official has responsibility such as the ND Highway Patrol with incidents occurring on the Grant Marsh, Liberty and Expressway Bridges, where a hazardous situation threatens life and property in Morton County, a Mandan or Morton County Public Safety Official will coordinate needed IPAWS notifications. • If Emergency Management (EM) is to send the notification, the IC will contact EM by telephone. • If the Morton County Communications Center (MCCC) is to send the notification, the IC can contact MCCC by either telephone or radio.

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy - continued • Upon confirmation by the IC that a threat no longer exists, an all-clear message will go out to the same population originally notified. • If an IC is not in place or an IC cannot be identified, IPAWS users will exercise launch discretion. • If notifications will bleed into an adjoining jurisdiction, the adjoining jurisdiction’s PSAP will be notified prior to sending an IPAWS notification. • IPAWS notifications to other counties will be at the request or confirmation of the respective county’s emergency manager.

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy - continued • If the notified population has vacated the threatened area where originally notified, another group or mapped area will be notified to optimize all-clear message dissemination. • Road closure notifications due to severe winter weather are categorized under IPAWS per the definition of a Local Area Emergency (LAE). • Only the ND Department of Transportation (NDDOT) through the ND Highway Patrol is physically capable of closing on-ramp storm gates to Interstate 94 (I-94).

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy - continued • When notified, of the NDDOT closing all or sections of I -94 within Morton County, IPAWS users plan to utilize Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) functionality for notifying the public. The procedure for users issuing WEA road closure notifications will follow the protocol as follows:

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy - continued 1. Notify Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of the adjacent counties in close proximity to where I 94 is closed. For example, if the east end of I-94 is closed, users will notify the Bismarck, Burleigh Combined Communications Center and if the west end of I-94 is closed, users will notify the Stark County Communications Center. 2. A polygon will be drawn with the mapping functionality of Alert Sense and include an area 5 miles on each side of I-94’s closed section.

IPAWS Policy - continued Jurisdiction Specific Policy - continued WEA text messages will be no more than 90 characters and written similar to the example listed below: DUE TO UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE NDDOT HAS CLOSED I-94 FROM BISMARCK TO DISCKINSON. (Note: We have had blizzards when hundreds of motorists were stranded along the interstate and our intent being that if we could reduce the number of stranded motorists, it would well serve responders called out for rescues and decrease the number of accidents. )

Usage Log SENT 09/09/2015 12: 36: 21 PM CDT 08/12/2015 01: 31: 20 PM CDT TYPE MESSAGE AREA NOTIFIED REMARKS CEM Notified by dispatch 1 -mile both sides of based on a Controlled natural gas release occurring at the Freeway 147 Interstate -94 call from and 2 -miles Travel Center - avoid hazard Missouri downwind Valley Petroleum CEM The Glen Ullin Public Water out W. Side of Glen Works Ullin at 2: PM today for 1 -2 Glen Ullin, ND Director hours store water PW Dir and proactive Ph. No. in notifying the public

Usage Log - continued SENT 07/03/2015 06: 03: 20 PM CDT 05/28/2015 03: 55: 29 PM CDT TYPE LEW MESSAGE Main Street in Mandan will be closed July 4 th from 7: 45 AM until parade is over - Mandan PD. CEM * Residents W of Main St Glen Ullin please limit sewer water entry to toilet flushing only AREA NOTIFIED Mandan, ND Glen Ullin, ND REMARKS Threat based on notification from the ND Fusion Center - vigilance during 4 th of July Celebrations The Glen Ullin Public Works Director proactive in notifying the public * Received a little grief on this notification, however sent to prevent vehicles (potentially harboring a hazard) and avoid a threat to the approximately 12, 000 people who line the parade route. Also, no vehicles were left parked along the parade route and traditionally 3 – 4 vehicles must be towed.

Usage Log - continued SENT TYPE 05/28/2015 09: 49: 02 AM CDT CEM 05/27/2015 09: 15: 51 AM CDT HMW 05/27/2015 10: 06: 41 AM CDT HMW 05/17/2015 10: 20: 45 AM CDT CEM 05/02/2015 08: 03: 25 AM CDT CEM AREA NOTIFIED MESSAGE REMARKS The siren is being tested at Requested around 10: 00 am today in New Salem, by the City New Salem - Only a test! ND of New MCEM Salem Ruptured gas line in NE Initiated by Mandan at 12 Ave NE and 2 St. N. E. Mandan, a Fire Avoid this area until further ND Department page-out. notice * All clear per gas leak NE When Mandan. MDU is on scene N. E. Mandan, advised by Mandan Fire has cleared ND Mandan Fire scene. All clear Cannonball River at Breien Per NWS near 7 -Feet and rising, take Breien, ND Hydrograph care, remain watchful. MCEM Warning Point Red Flag Fire Warning til 8 PM. Counties PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN See Note Grant, Oliver, or discard burning items. Below Sioux and MCEM Mercer * Following this notification we inserted the Incident Commander sections into policy.

Usage Log - continued SENT TYPE MESSAGE AREA NOTIFIED 04/29/2015 05: 01: 04 PM CDT CEM Store water possible outage in Glen Ullin 100 Block of 3 rd Street off S Glen Ullin, ND Ave PW Dir and Ph. No. 04/20/2015 02: 42: 33 PM CDT CEM Morton County declared a TOTAL BURN BAN. No open burning until further notice. MCEM Morton County CEM Red Flag Fire Warning til 11 PM. PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN or discard burning items. MCEM Warning Point Counties - Grant, Oliver, Sioux and Mercer 04/20/2015 11: 59: 52 AM CDT 04/17/2015 02: 26: 25 PM CDT CEM Grant County Commissioners have declared a burn ban today until further notice. Grant County REMARKS The Glen Ullin Public Works Director proactive in notifying the public Per County Commission Declaration See Note Below Per a Request from the Grant County Emergency Manager

Usage Log - continued SENT 04/16/2015 09: 10: 06 PM CDT 04/16/2015 09: 52: 05 PM CDT 04/15/2015 10: 22: 35 AM CDT 04/14/2015 12: 01: 15 PM CDT 04/13/2015 11: 59 AM CDT TYPE MESSAGE AREA NOTIFIED HMW AMMONIA LEAK PERSONS ON THE EAST SIDE OF HAZEN SHOULD SHELTER IN PLACE, SEAL HOUSE, MCEM ATTENTION RESIDENTS EAST SIDE OF HAZEN - AMMONIA THREAT NO Hazen, ND LONGER EXISTS = ALL CLEAR, EM CEM Red Flag Fire Warning til 8 PM. PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN or discard burning items. MCEM Warning Point Counties - Grant, Oliver, Sioux and Mercer CEM Red Flag Fire Warning til 10 PM. PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN or discard burning items. MCEM Warning Point Counties - Grant, Oliver, Sioux and Mercer CEM Red Flag Fire Warning til 8 PM. PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN or discard burning items. MCEM Warning Point Counties - Grant, Oliver, Sioux and Mercer Hazen, ND REMARKS Per a Request from the Mercer County Emergency Manager See Note Below

Usage Log - continued SENT 04/12/2015 11: 07: 00 AM CDT 04/11/2015 01: 12: 54 PM CDT 04/02/2015 10: 17: 37 AM CDT 04/01/2015 11: 18: 21 AM CDT Note TYPE MESSAGE AREA NOTIFIED CEM Red Flag Fire Warning til 10 PM. PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN or discard burning items. MCEM Warning Point Counties - Grant, Oliver, Sioux and Mercer CEM Red Flag Fire Warning til 7 PM. PREVENT FIRES. DON'T BURN or discard burning items. MCEM Warning Point Counties - Grant, Oliver, Sioux and Mercer CEM Warning Point RED FLAG FIRE WARNING til 8 PM. Counties - Grant, DON'T BURN, or DISCARD BURNING Oliver and Sioux ITEMS PREVENT WILDFIRES! MC and Morton CEM A Red Flag Warning is in effect for Morton County. Take precautions not Morton County to cause fires. REMARKS See Note Below Although believed excessive (by some) the Rural Fire Chiefs were very appreciative during this extremely volatile fire season, the warned counties suffered only one significant wildfire.

Summary We have not yet used the EAS functionality of IPAWS , however during an upcoming meeting with ND Emergency Services, ND Highway Patrol and Morton County Sheriff, we will discuss how we might use EAS and WEA through IPAWS to augment the existing Amber Alert System. The discussion has been that it takes too much time going through all the channels for sending an Amber Alert with the existing system. Has anyone used IPAWS for notifying the public of escapees? What about juvenile escapees from Youth Correctional Centers?

Summary The past five months have been a learning process with IPAWS. We do understand how too many widespread notifications can turn the public off and create a “Cry Wolf” situation. The functionality of IPAWS is a truly powerful capability and we greatly appreciate being an authorized user.

Questions? My Newest Granddaughter - Lilly Why the coat? It is already cold here!