The document discusses the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard for multi-agency alerting and situational awareness across all hazards. CAP allows alerts to be disseminated through multiple channels including TV, radio, websites and cell phones. It is an XML-based format managed by OASIS that is recommended by ITU-T and follows NSTC principles. The document provides an example of an automated standard message in CAP and demonstrates delivering alerts through various channels using a CAP simulator tool. Resources for further information on CAP are also listed.

1. Common Alerting Protocol Standard and
Operating Procedures
Nuwan Waidyanatha
Director - Sahana Software Foundation
nuwan[AT]sahanafoundation[DOT]org
http://www.lirneasia.net/profiles/nuwan-waidyanatha
Mobile: +8613888446352 (cn) +94773710394 (lk)
CAP on a Map Kickoff Workshop – Improving Institutional Responsiveness to
Coastal Hazards through Multi Agency Situational Awareness
2015 May 19
PAGASA, Manila, Philippines

2. □Why do we need CAP
□What is CAP?
□How do we use it?
■ CAP-Profile
■ Register of Alerting
Authorities
■ Multi agency situational
awareness
□Automation
□Pilots
□Users
□Conclusion
□Resources
Outline

3. Letter from WMO on Enhanced Alerting Facilities

4. Typical vertical horizontal integration
4
Railway Financial
Civil
affairs … …… …
National
Provincial/Regional
State/Regional
County/Town/Village
Land Earthquake Water Heath
Firefighting Meteorological Traffic
Diploma
tic
“Horizontal”
Inf. Sharing
“Vertical”
A variety of
means to
public
1122
33
Management platformManagement platform
Collecti
on
Collecti
on
WebsiteWebsite
Feedback evaluation
system
Feedback evaluation
system
SMS release
system
SMS release
systemProcessProcess
Transm
ission
Transm
ission
StoreStore ControlControl
National
Emergency
Early Warning
& Alerting
System

5. □How do we manage the subscribers and publishers?
□How do we deliver early warnings in local language?
□How do we use available technologies?
□How do we disseminate alerts over multiple channels?
□How do we interoperate with incompatible systems?
□How do we effectively communicate the optimal content?
□How do we address the communication strategy?
□How do we accommodate upstream-downstream alerting?
Problem to solve in alerting/warning systems

6. ANSWER: CAP for all-hazards all-media and
multi-agency alerting and situational awareness
Managed by the Organization for the
Advancement of Structured Information
Standards (OASIS)
Recommended (X.1303) by the International
Telecommunications Union Standardization
Sector (ITU-T) – to align with ASN1 (Abstract
Syntax Notation One) ISO standards notation
Complies with the US National Science and
Technology Council (NSTC) six principles of
alerting, designed for :
• Coordination (avoid duplication)
• Consistency (believable)
• Channels (Multiple)
• Completeness (unabiguity)
• Coverage (Geo-targetting)
• Control (security)

7. All-hazards displaying on all-media
TV SCROLLERSWEB ADSSPECIAL DEVICES
Any City / Province / Country
Radio
Television
Fax
Cell / SMS
SirensStorm
Earthquake
Fire
Tsunami
Volcano
u

8. CAP (XML) → uses XSL to transform→ delivery method

9. Automated Standard Message
“A <event> alert has been issued for
<areaDesc> by <senderName>. Persons in this
area are encouraged to <responseType>, and
<instruction>. This event is rated as <severity>,
and is <certainty>. Responsive action should
be taken <urgency> . For more information
about this event, visit <URI> or call <contact>.”

10. Example of Automated Standard Message
“A Flood alert has been issued for North
Western Province by Department of Irrigation and
Water Resources. Persons in this area are
encouraged to prepare, and stay away from
demarcated flood zones. This event is rated as
moderate, and is likely. Responsive action
should be taken in future. For more information
about this event, visit http://www.ndmc.gov.lk/ or
call 2395521.”

11. Exercise – SAMBRO message delivery
1) getting a feel for alerts in CAP format for the project focused
coastal hazards (use the SimCAPTool)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Form four groups and use the same example used in the
discussion to now generate your alert message
- Access: http://cap.ituprojects.org
- Login with sd@gmail.com and 123
2) disseminate alerts in CAP format to the Restricted through
multiple delivery modes for the chosen event

12. SAMBRO Screen Shots

13. EMAIL

14. Tweet

15. The Feedback Control with Social Media
Warning/
Alerting
Broker
SMS
Email
Self correcting
feedback
control

16. SHOW 1 MIN VIDEO

17. Resources
1) Video “Introduction to CAP”, Eliot Christian (WMO): http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=n0iKp60jjtY
2) Instructions for translating the video to local language:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/ISS/Meetings/WIS-CAP_Geneva2011/video.zip
3) Video on the use of CAP in real-time biosurveillance pilot, Nuwan Waidyanatha
(LIRNEasia): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7WOq5giddI
4) CAP implementers workshop, WMO, Geneva, April 2011:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/ISS/Meetings/WIS-
CAP_Geneva2011/DocPlan.html
5) CAP Cookbook (wiki):
http://www.incident.com/cookbook/index.php/Welcome_to_the_CAP_Cookbook
6) ITU-T recommendation X.1303: http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-X.1303/en
7) TD No. 1556, Administrative Procedure for Registering WMO Alerting Identifiers
(PWS-20): http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/amp/pwsp/documents/AIR_PWS-20.pdf
8) OASIS EDXL suite of standards (including CAP): http://www.oasis-
open.org/standards#edxl

18. Thank You
Nuwan Waidyanatha
Nuwan [AT] sahanafoundation [DOT] org
www.sahanafoundation.org