Recently, parts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a demonstration of new technology that has the potential to provide life-saving critical emergency alerts by integrating data from flood and wildfire sensors.

DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and FEMA are involved in the project, which involves integrating unattended flood and wildfire sensors with IPAWS Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN). Working together, these systems can push alerts to people through their mobile devices and even their vehicle infotainment systems. The test showed unattended field sensors are optimal alert originators for the future of emergency alerting. They may generate specialized warnings for local government and alert originators, possibly changing how communities are notified of local emergencies. Unattended sensor technology paired with location-based alerting technologies can ensure warnings are only sent to relevant devices and without over-alerting. “This demonstration is an example of our commitment to providing emergency managers with innovative solutions to overcome the growing [wildland urban interface] landscape and bridge the gap between time-sensitive, life-saving information to the navigation-reliant public,” said Norman Speicher, DHS S&T Program Manager. Following the demonstration, S&T will release an after-action report later this year with useful information for emergency managers. Read more at DHS.