https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Smart Cities & Technology


Testing texting

Testing texting

Florida tests technology that would notify cell phone users to steer clear of nearby emergencies.
  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 1st December 2010

In accordance with the Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) Act of 2006, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), which is designed to allow public officials to send urgent messages to wireless device users within range of a particular cellular antenna or wireless transmission system. A complement to multi-modal mass notification systems, CMAS technology will allow federal agencies to transmit text alerts from the president of the United States and from the National Weather Service (NWS), as well as local emergency operations centers. After releasing the CMAS architecture and standards in December 2009, the FCC set an implementation deadline of April 2012 for commercial providers that choose to participate.

In anticipation of the FCC’s 2012 deadline, Florida created a Cell Broadcast initiative to test CMAS-compliant cell broadcast technology. Through a public-private partnership with Washington-based mass notification provider Blackboard Connect; Paris, France-based telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent; gateway host solution provider St. Charles, Mo-based Cellcast Corp.; and Richardson, Texas-based cell carrier MetroPCS, more than 80 CMAS emergency alerts were successfully delivered to handsets in Pasco and Polk counties in September 2010.

The tests proved the CMAS standard and established a delivery timeline of between 2 and 10 seconds from the time an alert was sent to the time it was received over the network to the mobile devices, according to Jim Johnston, operations coordinator for Pasco County. County officials also confirmed that the system will accept and display the message as outlined in the standard. “The public is becoming increasingly dependent on mobile devices. This provides an efficient and effective way for us to reach community members — anytime, anywhere, when it matters most for protecting public safety,” Johnston says.

Now that the CMAS standard has been demonstrated, the state and its service providers will recommend modifications to the standard. In the next phase of Florida’s Cell Broadcast initiative, the state will collaborate with additional carriers and handset manufacturers to move toward implementation statewide.

Project: Cell broadcast test for emergency alerts
Jurisdictions: Florida, Pasco and Polk counties
Agencies: Florida Division of Emergency Management, Pasco County Office of Emergency Management, and Polk County Emergency Management Division
Vendors: Washington-based Blackboard Connect; Paris, France-based Alcatel-Lucent; St. Charles, Mo-based Cellcast Corp. and Richardson, Texas-based MetroPCS
Date: September 2010

Related Stories

  • Thumbs up to emergency texting
  • Atlanta explores 911 texting

Tags: Public Safety Smart Cities & Technology

Most Recent


  • Smart911 emergency profiles provide first responders with more information, faster
    Since the first full time fire department was established in Cincinnati in 1853, emergency responders have raced into unknown scenarios with limited advance information when the firehouse bell rings—until now. Among the many advancements of next-generation 911 dispatch systems, Smart911, an app developed by Rave Mobile Safety, automatically displays resident profiles during an emergency—including details […]
  • MSPs
    The MSP downstream cyberthreat paradox: Understanding the city and county connection
    Recently the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) along with the FBI, NSA, and international cyber authorities issued a cybersecurity advisory aimed at protecting managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers. This high-level advisory has been gestating for some time ever since the SolarWinds and Kaseya supply chain cyber-attacks. A software supply chain attack occurs […]
  • Report: Nearly 95 percent of America's mayors face harassment, threats and violence
    In today’s divided socioeconomic landscape—one that’s rife with political angst—harassment of mayors has become commonplace, especially against minority leaders. Women mayors and mayors of color face more frequent and acute incidents of harassment and violence, according to new research from the advocacy organizations Equity Agenda and the Mayors Innovation Project. Nearly half of all women mayors […]
  • Victims of Surfside condo collapse settle for nearly $1B in class action lawsuit
    Nearly $1 billion—that’s how much victims of last year’s Surfside, Fla. condo collapse will receive, lawyers representing victims in a class action lawsuit announced unexpectedly Wednesday in a courtroom hearing. At $997 million, it’s among the largest settlements from a single incident in U.S. history. “We all know there is no amount of money in […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Today’s infrastructure needs greater than roads and bridges - It’s time to face our digital connectiveness
  • Gamifying city pandemic recovery to help small businesses
  • Four steps to City 4.0: Insights from the “Smart City Solutions for a Riskier World” study

White papers


The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media

16th May 2022

Gain Greater Visibility Into Your Public Works Fleet

16th May 2022

Arizona Arts Center Meets Rapid Deadline with Hundreds of Thousands in Savings

26th April 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Amid shifting workplace expectations, local government employers must adapt dlvr.it/SQm2RT

20th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Smart911 emergency profiles provide first responders with more information, faster dlvr.it/SQh9gl

19th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Minor league baseball is helping cities hit a revitalization home run dlvr.it/SQc5N4

18th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council can help governments get up to speed on sustainable buys dlvr.it/SQbwqL

18th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

The MSP downstream cyberthreat paradox: Understanding the city and county connection dlvr.it/SQYVjs

17th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Philanthropic group to launch assistance portal for local admins navigating federal bureaucracy dlvr.it/SQY16G

17th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Nearly 95 percent of America’s mayors face harassment, threats and violence dlvr.it/SQTn2z

16th May 2022
AmerCityCounty

The PIO’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media dlvr.it/SQTdCK

16th May 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X