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Pickens County, Georgia Support Annex D Emergency Management Agency Department of Public Safety Integrated Public Alert & Warning System ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 1 Records of Change Change Number Date Part Affected Date Posted Who Posted 1 4-1-2025 All 4-1-2025 Westbrook ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 2 Record of Distribution **All distributions are made Electronically as of 1/1/2025 Agency Name Date of Delivery Copies Pickens County Board of Commissioners Chairman Stancil Josh Tatum Josh Tippens 4-1-2025 1 Each Pickens County Clerk Lesa Thomason 4-1-2025 1 Pickens County Director of Administration Bill Wood 4-1-2025 1 Pickens County Public Safety Director Sloan Elrod 4-1-2025 1 Pickens County E-911 Director Kristy Easterwood 4-1-2025 1 City of Jasper Mayor Kirk Raffield 4-1-2025 1 City of Jasper Police Chief Matt Dawkins 4-1-2025 1 City of Jasper Fire Chief John Sherrer 4-1-2025 1 City of Nelson Clerk 4-1-2025 1 Town of Talking Rock Clerk 4-1-2025 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 4 Table of Contents RECORDS OF CHANGE 1 RECORD OF DISTRIBUTION 2 1.0 APPROVAL AND IMPLEMENTATION 3 3.0 INTRODUCTION 6 3.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 3.1 PURPOSE 7 3.2 AUTHORITY 7 4.0 CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS 8 4.1 INTEGRATING PUBLIC ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEMS 8 4.2 ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 9 4.2.1 PICKENS COUNTY, GEORGIA 9 4.2.2 STATE OF GEORGIA 9 4.2.3 FEDERAL 10 5.0 AUTHORIZED USE OF IPAWS 11 5.1 TYPES OF IPAWS MESSAGES 11 5.2 EVENT CODES 12 5.3 TRAINING REQUIREMENTS 12 5.4 SOFTWARE FOR SENDING ALERTS 13 5.5 SYSTEM SECURITY 13 5.6 SYSTEM TESTS 13 5.6.1 REQUIRED TEST FOR WEA MESSAGES 13 7.0 CRITERIA FOR IPAWS MESSAGES 14 7.1 IPAWS MESSAGES 14 7.2 LOCAL MEDIA 14 8.0 PUBLIC OUTREACH 15 8.1 WRITING EFFECTIVE ALERT AND WARNING MESSAGES 15 9.0 ANNEX MAINTENANCE 16 ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 5 9.1 ANNEX MAINTENANCE 16 10. IPAWS ANNEX APPENDIXES 16 APPENDIX A: ACRONYMS 17 APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY 20 APPENDIX C: PICKENS COUNTY, GEORGIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AUTHORIZED USERS 23 APPENDIX D: IPAWS ARCHITECTURE 25 APPENDIX E: IPAWS AND 26 ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 6 3.0 Introduction 3.1 Executive Summary In times of crisis, the people of Pickens County, Georgia continually demonstrate resilience. Timely and effective emergency alert and warning messages can add to that resilience by providing information that citizens can use to make informed decisions and take action to save lives and reduce property losses, effectively reducing the impact of disaster and speeding community recovery. Effective alerts and warnings can help prevent hazards from becoming disasters. Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management Agency strives to improve public safety through the rapid dissemination of emergency messages to as many people as possible over as many communication devices as possible before, during, and after a disaster. To accomplish this, Pickens County, Georgia has adopted the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to augment existing public alert and warning technologies. The purpose of the Pickens County, Georgia Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Annex” is to formalize Pickens County, Georgia processes for communicating with the general public during local and state disasters or emergencies. IPAWS integrates new and existing public alert and warning systems and technologies to provide state and local alert and warning authorities a range of capabilities and dissemination channels, thereby increasing the likelihood that a given message will reach people in an affected area. IPAWS provides state, local, territorial, and tribal governments with the capability to integrate their alert and warning systems with the national alert and warning infrastructure. Pickens County, Georgia continues to leverage IPAWS’ capabilities to expand the delivery of alert and warning information, increase resilience of local systems, and support protection, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. The Pickens County, Georgia IPAWS Annex details the roles and responsibilities of alerting authorities and public safety officials at the state, local, and federal level. It also documents the criteria for issuing public alerts and warnings, types of alerts and warnings, governance, training, and technical requirements for activating alerts. This Plan also addresses best practices for writing effective alert and warning messages, alerting technology, system security and testing, and public education to ensure the citizens and visitors of Pickens County, Georgia understand how to access, use, and respond to information from public ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 7 safety officials. 3.1 Purpose The Pickens County, Georgia IPAWS Annex provides policy and procedures agreed upon by Pickens County Georgia Emergency Management and will permit authorized users to issue emergency information, instructions, and warnings to the general public of Pickens County, Georgia by activating the alert and warning systems within Pickens County. 3.2 Authority Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Operations Plan, 2025. Authoritative information for this plan is garnered from the following policies and legislations: {Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) in Georgia, Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, dated July 12, 2012. Georgia Emergency Management Act of 1981, Ga. Code §38-3-1 et seq., Georgia Code Title 38 - Military, Emergency Management, And Veterans Affairs, Chapter 3 - Emergency Management. Articles 1 through 3 of this chapter may be cited as the 'Georgia Emergency Management Act of 1981.’ State of Georgia Emergency Alert System (EAS) Plan, dated February 21, 2013. Georgia Emergency Operations Plan 2013 Presidential Memorandum, “Emergency Alert System Statement of Requirements”, September 15, 1995; Executive Order 13407, Public Alert and Warning System, June 26, 2006 Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act, October 13, 2006 National Security Presidential Directive- 51(NSPD-51)/Homeland Security Presidential Directive-20 (HSPD-20), “National Continuity Policy”, May 9, 2007 National Incident Management System, December 2008 Presidential Policy Directive/PPD-21 “Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience”, February 12, 2013 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 8 Executive Order “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity”, February 12, 2013 National Preparedness Report, March 2013 National Response Framework, Second Edition, May 2013 4.0 Concept of Operations 4.1 Integrating Public Alert and Warning Systems Pickens County, Georgia has adopted and implemented the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) which facilitates rapid and reliable delivery of alert and warning information over multiple communication pathways before, during, and after an emergency in the preservation of life and property. Pickens County, Georgia incorporates IPAWS into the county’s existing structure through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which governs the relationship between the county and state–level Collaborative Operating Groups (COGs) and FEMA. IPAWS provides Pickens County, Georgia with the capability to integrate alert and warning systems with the national alert and warning infrastructure. Consequently, IPAWS increases the capability and options available to state and local officials by which life-saving information can be distributed during a crisis. Pickens County, Georgia authorities have chosen to use IPAWS and integrate local alerting and emergency response systems that use Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standards with the IPAWS infrastructure. Beginning in 2011, the initial IPAWS capabilities were deployed providing public safety authorities at all levels of government with integrated access to send alerts through EAS, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, internet applications, sirens, road signs, and other unique local technologies, as well as being able to seamlessly incorporate emerging and future alerting channels and communications technologies. Pickens County, Georgia may provide public safety officials with resources to assist them as they adopt CAP, incorporate IPAWS, and ensure their communities understand how to access, use, and respond to public alert and warning information. New alert and warning technologies, particularly alerts to personal cellphones, will only be effective if the public understands the avenues over which alerts are delivered and trusts the emergency messages being sent. Local public safety officials strive to ensure emergency communication plans and tools incorporate the latest technologies, can be leveraged to strengthen communication infrastructure, enhance information sharing and situational awareness, and provide the public with critical information. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 9 4.2 Roles & Responsibilities 4.2.1 Pickens County, Georgia All disasters and emergencies are locally oriented. While first responders are gearing up to respond to the initial aftereffects of an incident, it is an inherent responsibility of local officials to keep the public informed of what actions the public needs to take to protect themselves. These could include evacuation orders, location of points of distribution (for food, water, medicine, etc.), move to higher ground, shelter in place guidance, take cover, etc. Communicating these instructions to the public is the primary purpose of IPAWS. Because Pickens County officials have a better understanding of the situation, the immediate actions that are being taken, and potential adverse impacts of the incident, it is incumbent upon Pickens County to rapidly and effectively communicate to the public what is going on and what needs to be done. In order to successfully implement IPAWS, Pickens County, Georga will maintain a structure to provide rapid alert and warning. T h i s L o c a l structure will include: • Designating in writing, in accordance with jurisdictional procedures, no fewer than three individuals who will be the jurisdiction’s alerting authorities for issuing emergency broadcasts with IPAWS following their successful completion of IS–247.A “Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)” course. • Incorporating IPAWS into existing and future response plans and procedures as well as training and exercise events. Collaborative Operating Group (COG) COGs will maintain a list of all individuals who have successfully completed the IS-247.A course and other required courses as directed by federal and state guidance. A list is included in Appendix C of this annex and will be updated on an annual basis by Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management. Immediately after alert dissemination, a copy of the alert must transmitted to the State Warning Point by emailing [EMAIL REDACTED], and the State Warning Officer at [EMAIL REDACTED]. 4.2.2 State of Georgia Recognizing that all disasters are local, the primary responsibility of the state will be to facilitate the implementation of IPAWS into the emergency notification network. In the case of a catastrophic local, state, or regionally defined event, the state will provide a ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 10 resilient and comprehensive alert and notification capability. ☐ GEMA will be designated the COG point of contact as per the signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with FEMA. ☐ GEMA will form a working group comprised of applicable statewide stakeholders to bring together the necessary technical and operational expertise from the private sector, non–profits, local jurisdictions, state agencies, and the federal government with the goal of defining policy and procedures leading to the implementation of IPAWS across the state. ☐ GEMA will sign all COGs for all local and State Agency Alerting Authorities. ☐ GEMA will conduct coordinated periodic tests of the system to ensure functionality of equipment and the network. ☐ GEMA will provide a backup capability for local jurisdictions’ alerting authorities to issue emergency broadcasts and/or wireless on behalf of the local jurisdiction, as deemed appropriate 4.2.3 Federal FEMA is the lead federal agency for IPAWS coordination and implementation. FEMA ensures that the system is maintained and is operational to achieve the following: ☐ Build and maintain an effective, reliable, integrated, flexible, and comprehensive alert and warning system. ☐ Enable federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local alert and warning emergency communication officials to access multiple broadcast and other communications pathways for the purpose of creating and activating alert and warning messages related to hazards impacting public safety and well-being. ☐ Reach the American people before, during, and after a disaster through as many means as possible. ☐ Diversify and modernize the EAS. ☐ Create an interoperability framework by establishing or adopting standards such as CAP. ☐ Enable alert and warning to those with disabilities and others with access and functional needs and to those without an understanding of the English language. ☐ Partner with NOAA for seamless integration of message transmission through national networks. ☐ Receive and authenticate alert messages, then simultaneously deliver to all IPAWS–compliant public alerting systems. ☐ Continue to engage the media, internet service providers, unique and local alerting system providers as well as future alert technology developers on the implementation of IPAWS. ☐ Ensure the required Emergency Management Institute (EMI) courses are available and updated periodically. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 11 5.0 Authorized Use of IPAWS IPAWS may be used to alert the public to events that pose a significant threat to life and/or property. IPAWS is a public emergency warning system, NOT a public notification system. Presidential Messages are issued by the President of the United States. AMBER Alerts are issued by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in consultation with state AMBER coordinators. Critical weather warnings (e.g. tornados, flash floods, hurricanes, blizzards or ice storms, and dust storms) are issued by NWS. Alerts issued by an authorized public safety agency using IPAWS may be disseminated to broadcast media (EAS), weather radios (non-weather emergency messages, or NWEM), cellphones and other mobile devices via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), internet services, road signs, sirens, etc. Some alerts may be selected to broadcast to one alerting technology, while other alerts may be selected to go to numerous alerting technologies. The primary capability of a WEA (cellphone message) is to quickly announce that an event is occurring or is imminent in the geographic area in which the recipient is located. WEA messages are limited to 90 characters. EAS (broadcasters) and NWEM (weather radio) alerts can provide more information. For example, the “Headline” element of a NWEM message may be 160 characters and the “Description + Instruction” elements have no character limit. 5.1 Types of IPAWS Messages The types of alert messages for which Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management and authorized system users who will use IPAWS include: Warning Messages Warning messages are issued for those events that alone pose a significant threat to public safety and/or property, probability of occurrence and location is high, and the onset time is relatively short. Emergency Messages Emergency messages are issued for those events that by themselves would not kill, injure, or damage property, but indirectly may cause other things to happen that result in a hazard. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 12 5.2 Event Codes Authorized Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management Agency and Pickens County, Georgia E-911 Center personnel can send the following event codes through IPAWS: CEM: Civil Emergency Message EQW: Earthquake Warning EVI: Evacuate Immediate FRW: Fire Warning HMW Hazardous Materials Warning LAE: Local Area Emergency LEW: Law Enforcement Warning RHW: Radiological Hazard Warning SPW: Shelter in Place Warning TOE: 911 Telephone Outage Emergency 5.3 Training Requirements Prior to accessing the IPAWS system to post alerts, any Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management and E-911 staff who have the authority to send messages via IPAWS complete the following training: IS-247 course for COG point of contact (POC) and any user with alert originator responsibilities for IPAWS public alerts IS-251 course for COG point of contact (POC) and any user with administrative responsibilities for IPAWS public alerts Initially during the IPAWS application process the Pickens County, Georgia COG POC submitted a copy of all IPAWS related training certificates to [EMAIL REDACTED]. This process will be completed annually as well. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 13 5.4 Software for Sending Alerts Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management will use the existing Code Red system to send IPAWS alerts and messages. 5.5 System Security To ensure the joint security of the systems and the message data they store, process, and transmit, all parties participating in IPAWS agree to the terms and conditions as stated in their MOAs and the IPAWS Rules of Behavior, which can be requested at [EMAIL REDACTED]. 5.6 System Tests At the local, county, and state level, tests or exercises of IPAWS will be conducted to ensure the ability to send emergency notification information across the entire network. Testing should be coordinated prior to execution to ensure appropriate rules and regulations are followed. Any impediments will be immediately identified and a resolution at the lowest jurisdictional level possible will be ascertained. It is pertinent to define which test codes will/should work for each dissemination channel depending on their existing EAS Plan. 5.6.1 Required Test for WEA Messages The required Proficiency Demonstration will be conducted by the Pickens County E-911 Center at noon on the first Wednesday of each month in conjunction with the outdoor warning siren test. This is a WEA message that is sent in the ‘practice mode’ of the Code Red alerting software (so the message is sent to IPAWS but is not disseminated to the public). It should NOT be sent in the live or active mode. FEMA requires you select an event code that your COG is approved to send; do not send a Required Test (RMT). It is anticipated that the FEMA IPAWS Program Management Office (PMO) will conduct tabletop, scenario-based, and full-scale exercises of the public alert and warning systems. Where applicable, all jurisdictions will be encouraged to participate in these exercises. GEMA conducts a required test to ensure that the EAS is active throughout Georgia. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 14 7.0 Criteria for IPAWS Messages 7.1 IPAWS Messages When circumstances arise and the need for a public warning becomes necessary, the decision to send a message will ultimately be a matter of local judgment. To assist in the decision-making process the following criteria should be applied: ☐ Does the hazardous situation require the public to take immediate action? ☐ Does the hazardous situation pose a serious threat to life or property? ☐ Is there a high degree of probability the hazardous situation will occur? ☐ Do other means of disseminating the message ensure rapid delivery of urgent information? 7.2 Local Media Local media has a desire to keep its audience informed of ongoing events. Besides their broadcasts, many have developed instant messaging systems to keep the public informed of important events through a variety of social media networks. Coordination with local media outlets is essential for the successful implementation of the Pickens County, Georgia IPAWS Plan. By making use of the media’s desire to inform its audience, public safety officials in Pickens County, Georgia have and will continue to establish relationships with the media for the passage of critical, time-sensitive, information to the public. The challenge is that many media outlets are market-driven and are not constrained by political boundaries. In many cases, a television or radio broadcast station that covers multiple counties or state–defined regions may be physically located in a neighboring region. Through multiple mediums, such as newspaper articles, public service announcements, town hall meetings, or other avenues that the jurisdiction has found effective, the general public will be encouraged to continue to listen to and follow officials’ guidance about what to do when a disaster occurs. Periodically (especially after an incident occurs) the public should be canvassed as to the clarity and effectiveness of the messages that were broadcast. The responses should be reviewed to determine if any changes to the message content need to take place. The results should also be passed to the applicable state agency in order to share them for the benefit of other jurisdictions. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 15 8.0 Public Outreach 8.1 Writing Effective Alert and Warning Messages How an alert/warning message is written is as important as what is written. Poorly written warnings can undermine both understanding and credibility. “Style" refers to how you write. Considerations when writing accessible and usable alert and warning messages should include: ☐ Specifics: If the message is not specific enough about the “Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?” the public will spend more time seeking specific information to confirm the risk. If necessary, be specific about what is or is not known about the hazard. ☐ Consistency: An alert/warning should be internally consistent; that is, one part of the message should not contradict another part. It should be consistent with messages that are distributed via other channels. To the extent possible, alerts/warnings should be consistent from event to event, to the degree that the hazard is similar. ☐ Certainty: Avoid conveying a sense of uncertainty, either in content or tone. Confine the message to what is known, or if necessary, describe what is unknown in certain terms. Do not guess or speculate. ☐ Clarity: Use common words that can easily be understood. Do not use technical terminology or jargon. If protective instructions are precautionary, state so clearly. Make it clear if protective instructions pertain to particular at- risk populations (e.g.,elderly). If the probability of occurrence of the hazard event is less than 100 percent, try to convey in simple terms what the likelihood of occurrence is. ☐ Accuracy: Do not overstate or understate the facts. Do not omit important information. Convey respect for the intelligence and judgment of the public. To this end, only those individuals who have successfully completed the IS-247.B course and have been officially designated by Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management as an alerting authority will be provided access to the system. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 16 9.0 Annex Maintenance 9.1 Annex Maintenance The IPAWS Annex will be reviewed and updated annually and as required following IPAWS activations when events or exercises identify a needed change. 10. IPAWS Annex Appendixes ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 17 APPENDIX A: ACRONYMS ACRONYM DESCRIPTION AWN Alert, Warning and Notification AA Alerting Authority AAR After Action Report ADR Administrative Message AO Alert Originator AOSP Alert Origination Software Provider AVA Avalanche Watch AVW Avalanche Warning BLU Blue Alert CAE Child Abduction Emergency CDW Civil Danger Warning CEM Civil Emergency Message CHP California Highway Patrol CMAS Commercial Mobile Alert System COG Collaborative Operating Group DBGF Device Based Geo-Fencing DMO Practice/Demonstration Warning EAS Emergency Alert System EQW Earthquake Warning EVI Evacuation Immediate FCC Federal Communications Commission FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIPS Federal Information Processing Standard FRW Fire Warning Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 18 GEMA Georgia Emergency Management Agency GIS Geographic Information System HAZ COLLECT All-Hazards Emergency Message Collection System HMW Hazardous Material Warning IPAWS Integrated Public Alert and Warning System IPAWS OPEN IPAWS-Open Platform for Emergency Networks LAE Local Area Emergency LEW Law Enforcement Warning MOA Memorandum of Agreement MOU Memorandum of Understanding MPD Proficiency Demonstration NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NUW Nuclear Power Plant Warning NWEM Non-Weather Emergency Message NWS National Weather Service PAA Public Alerting Authority PIO Public Information Officer PMO Program Management Office RHW Radiological Hazard Warning RMT Required Test SAME Specific Area Message Encoding SOG Standard Operating Guidance SOP Standard Operating Procedure SPW Shelter – in – Place Warning TOE Telephone Outage Emergency TSS Technical Support Services ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 19 TSSF Technical Support Services Facility TTS Text to Speech VOW Volcano Warning WARN Warning Alert and Response Network WEA Wireless Emergency Alert ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 20 APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY Agency Representative – A person assigned by a primary, assisting, or cooperating federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local government agency or private entity that has been delegated authority to make decisions affecting that agency’s or organization’s participation in incident management activities following appropriate consultation with the leadership of that agency. Agency – A division of government with a specific function offering a particular kind of assistance. In the Incident Command System (ICS), agencies are defined either as jurisdictional (having statutory responsibility for incident management) or as assisting or cooperating (providing resources or other assistance). Alerting Authority – Designated jurisdictional individual who is authorized to write and distribute an alert or warning. Civil Danger Warning (CDW) – A warning of an event that presents a danger to a significant civilian population. The CDW, which usually warns of a specific hazard and gives specific protective action, has a higher priority than the Local Area Emergency (LAE) (e.g. contaminated water supply, terrorist attack). Public protective actions could include evacuation, shelter in place, or other actions (such as boiling contaminated water or seeking medical treatment). Civil Emergency Message (CEM) – An emergency message regarding an in- progress or imminent significant threat(s) to public safety and/or property. The CEM is a higher priority message than the Local Area Emergency (LAE), but the hazard is less specific than the Civil Danger Warning (CDW). Collaborative Operating Group – IPAWS is structured around Collaborative Operating Groups (COG). A COG is a virtual organization of alerting authorities that holds membership in IPAWS- OPEN and manages system access within that organization. When the application process is complete, FEMA will assign each agency a COG Identification number and Digital Certificate. Disaster – The occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property, or significant adverse impact on the environment, resulting from any natural or technological hazards, or a terrorist act, including but not limited to fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, hazardous substance incident, water contamination requiring emergency action to avert danger or damage, epidemic, air contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, civil disturbance, or hostile military or paramilitary action. For the purpose of state or federal disaster declarations, the term disaster generally falls into one of two categories relative to the level of severity and impact on ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 21 local and state resources. They are: Major - likely to require immediate state assistance supplemented by limited federal resources, if necessary, to supplement intra-state efforts and resources; and Catastrophic - will require immediate and massive state and federal assistance in both the response and recovery aspects. Local government's adaptation of the definition of a disaster denotes an event which threatens or actually does inflict damage to people or property, and is, or is likely to be, beyond the capability of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of a local jurisdiction, thereby requiring the augmentation of resources through state-directed assistance. Emergency – A suddenly occurring and often unforeseen situation which is determined by the Governor to require state response or mitigation actions to immediately supplement local government in protecting lives and property, to provide for public health and safety, or to avert or lessen the threat of a disaster. Local government's adaptation of this definition connotes an event that threatens or actually does inflict damage to people or property, exceeds the daily routine type of response, and still can be dealt with using local internal and mutual aid resources. Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) – In the event of a national emergency, the President will be able to use IPAWS to send a message to the American people quickly and simultaneously through multiple communications pathways. IPAWS is available to United States Federal, State, local, territorial and tribal government officials as a way to alert the public via the Emergency Alert System (EAS), Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), NOAA Weather Radio and other National Weather Service dissemination channels, the internet, existing unique warning systems, and emerging distribution technologies. Jurisdiction – A range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority for incident mitigation. Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be political or geographical city, county, state or federal boundary lines) or functional police department, health department). Law Enforcement Warning (LEW) - A warning of a bomb explosion, riot, or other criminal event (e.g. a jailbreak). An authorized law enforcement agency may blockade roads, waterways, or facilities, evacuate or deny access to affected areas, and arrest violators or suspicious persons. Local Area Emergency (LAE) - An emergency message that defines an event that, by itself, does not pose a significant threat to public safety and/or property. However, the event could escalate, contribute to other more serious events, or disrupt critical public safety services. Instructions, other than public protective actions, may be provided by authorized officials. Examples include a disruption in water, electric or ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 22 natural gas service, or a potential terrorist threat where the public is asked to remain alert. Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) – An agreement document between two or more agencies establishing reciprocal assistance to be provided upon request (and if available from the supplying agency) and laying out the guidelines under which this assistance will operate. Mutual-Aid Agreement – Written agreement between agencies and/or jurisdictions that they will assist one another upon request, by furnishing personnel, equipment, and/or expertise in a specified area. National Warning System (NAWAS) – A communication system of the federal government which provides warning to the population of an attack or other national emergency. Reception is at local and state warning points. National Weather Services (NWS) – Federal government agencies charged with weather- related reporting and projections. Shelter in place – Take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or wherever you can take protective cover. It may also mean "seal the room”; in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in. State – When capitalized, refers to any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States. See Section 2 (14), Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107- 296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002). ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 23 APPENDIX C: PICKENS COUNTY, GEORGIA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AUTHORIZED USERS The following Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management and E-911 Center staff members have completed the FEMA “Integrated Public Alert and Warning System” (IPAWS) IS-00251.a course: Name: Jack Robby Westbrook Position: Emergency Management Director Name: Kristy Easterwood Position: E-911 Center Director Name: Sloan Elrod Position: Public Safety Director_ These individuals are authorized to activate IPAWS, limited to the utilization of the following EAS codes: CEM – Civil Emergency Message. An emergency message regarding an in-progress or imminent significant threat(s) to public safety and/or property. The CEM is a higher priority message than the Local Area Emergency (LAE). EQW - Earthquake Warning. An emergency message warning of current or imminent earthquake activity. (For use in the event of an earthquake measuring a minimum of magnitude 6.0 or higher.) EVI - Evacuation Immediate. An emergency message warning that immediate evacuation is recommended. FRW – Fire Warning. A warning of a spreading wildfire or structural fire that threatens a populated area. Evacuation of areas in the fire’s path may be recommended by authorized officials. HMW - Hazardous Materials Warning. An emergency message warning of the release of a non-radioactive hazardous material that may recommend evacuation or shelter in place. LAE - Local Area Emergency. An emergency message that warns of a local emergency of such a nature as to threaten public safety and/or property. LEW - Law Enforcement Warning. An emergency message warning of a criminal incident that may be of immediate danger to people in the area. ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 24 RHW – Radiological Hazard Warning. A warning of the loss, discovery, or release of a radiological hazard. SPW - Shelter in Place. An emergency message warning of an event where the public is recommended to shelter in place. TOE - Telephone Outage Emergency. An emergency message that notifies an affected population of a local 9-1-1 telephone network outage. Authorized officials may provide alternative phone numbers in which to reach 9-1-1 or dispatch personnel. Additional Authorized Users Pickens County, Georgia Emergency Management & E-911 Center Completed FEMA – EMI Course IS – 247.B NAME POSITION Mathew Finaly E-911 Center Operator Mason Roberson E-911 Center Operator Megan Leathers Emergency Management Specialist ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 25 Appendix D: IPAWS ARCHITECTURE ---PAGE BREAK--- Support Annex D IPAWS 26 APPENDIX E: IPAWS AND PREPAREDNESS Public Alerts and Warnings Support Preparedness Goals The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) supports all preparedness mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. IPAWS delivers coordinated, prompt, reliable, and actionable information to the whole community through the use of clear, consistent, accessible, and culturally and linguistically appropriate methods. IPAWS effectively relays information regarding any threat or hazard, as well as the actions being taken and the assistance being made available, as appropriate. Prevention • Communicates timely and well-coordinated information to the public through standardized procedures • Informs the American public of pending threats, as appropriate, and provides critical instruction on the precautions necessary to protect themselves, their families, and their property • Tailors’ alerts best meet the specific needs of the audience • Shares prompt and actionable messages with the public and other stakeholders, as appropriate, to aid in the prevention of imminent or follow-on terrorist attacks Protection • Protects and enhances the overall physical and logistical health of communications • Improves the sector’s national security and emergency preparedness posture with state, local, territorial, tribal, federal, international, and private sector entities to reduce risk Mitigation • Warns people of the risks in their community and the actions they can take to mitigate those threats • Alerts children, individuals with disabilities or access and functional needs, diverse communities, and people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) • Supports and increases the number of communities that develop and share risk reduction products • Provides the tools necessary to make decisions quickly • Shares information obtained through coordinating activities to inform response and recovery decision making by effectively communicating threat and hazard risk analysis ---PAGE BREAK--- Response • Informs affected segments of the community by all means necessary, including accessible tools, of critical lifesaving and life-sustaining information to expedite the delivery of emergency services and aid the public in taking protective actions • Delivers credible messages to inform ongoing emergency services and the public about protective measures and other life-sustaining actions and facilitate the transition to recovery Recovery • Informs all affected segments of the community by all means necessary, including accessible tools • Utilizes existing resources to promote effective recovery and support states, territories, tribes, federal, and other jurisdictions affected by a disaster • Promotes effective recovery, particularly for those incidents that are large- scale or catastrophic • Provides a flexible structure that enables disaster recovery managers to operate in a unified and collaborative manner • Manages expectations throughout the recovery process and ensures the public has a clear understanding of available assistance and their roles and responsibilities • Supports the development of state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal government communications plans.