FEMA to Drop Incident Management Tool
For years, FEMA has made available at no charge a basic incident management tool called DMIS (Disaster Management Interoperabilities Toolset System), operated by the program office of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). DMIS has been scheduled for de-commissioning for some time, to be replaced with a new system called "Framework", a similar tool with added capability to activate emergency alerts through IPAWS. However, IPAWS has decided not to release Framework, but will still decommission DMIS. So, this basic incident management tool will no longer be available.
For years, FEMA has made available at no charge a basic incident management tool called DMIS (Disaster Management Interoperabilities Toolset System), operated by the program office of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). DMIS has been scheduled for de-commissioning for some time, to be replaced with a new system called "Framework", a similar tool with added capability to activate emergency alerts through IPAWS. However, IPAWS has decided not to release Framework, but will still decommission DMIS. So, this basic incident management tool will no longer be available.
In effect, the decision clears the way for private vendors to take up the slack for both the incident management and alert origination jobs. IPAWS Chief Engineer Mark Lucero issued a statement saying "We regret any inconvenience resulting from the decision. In the long-term, FEMA believes this is in the best interest of public safety." He pointed out that a number of web-based incident management tools are available.
As far as alerting is concerned, Lucero says over 40 private sector companies are in the process of adapting their technology to work with IPAWS through IPAWS-OPEN, the message processor FEMA is building that will route alerts to various public alerting systems. (See our earlier post on the private sector program.) As IPAWS matures, those systems will include the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), or cell broadcast as some call it, the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is being enhanced and will be tested nationally for the first time this year, and other systems.
While elimination of DMIS and its planned successor will be an inconvenience to some, we don't think many people have been using it. With the importance of IPAWS-OPEN and the fact that it will eventually touch masses of people, it's probably best that FEMA focus on it.
