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Article
From Alerting to Awareness
2016 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST) (2016)
  • Robert A Iannucci, Carnegie Mellon University
  • João Diogo Falcão, Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract
Wireless Emergency Alerting (WEA) is a standards-based transport and presentation service that provides a broadcast channel for communicating short text messages to subscribers in cellular systems. For emergency situations in which a single, short text message is sufficient to convey the situation, its importance and the intended action for recipients, WEA is efficient and effective.  In more complex emergency situations that may require a stream of messages to convey changing situations, importance, and action, users are confronted with message sequences and must mentally digest them.  Errors from out-of-order interpretation can lead to serious consequences.  We present a novel approach for conveying information in such situations that re-uses much of the WEA investment in message transport but replaces the presentation with an automated digestion mechanism.  We evaluate this new approach through a field experiment, showing that it measurably reduces errors of interpretation.  
Keywords
  • CMAS,
  • Commercial Mobile Alerting System,
  • Situational Awareness,
  • WEA,
  • Wireless Emergency Alerting
Publication Date
May 10, 2016
DOI
10.1109/THS.2016.7568902
Citation Information
Robert A Iannucci and João Diogo Falcão. "From Alerting to Awareness" 2016 IEEE Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST) (2016)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/bob/29/