Presentation made at the 4th Asia Pacific Telecommunity Workshop on Disaster Management and Communications. The presentation discusses the utility and implementation strategies of the Common Alerting Protocol (ITU-T X.1303) emergency communication standard.

1. Introduction to Operationalizing the
Common Alerting Protocol (ITU-T X.1303) Standard
Nuwan Waidyanatha
ITU Consultant / Senior Research Fellow
Email: nuwan [at] lirneasia [dot] net
http://www.lirneasia.net/profiles/nuwan-waidyanatha
Mobile: +8613888446352 (cn) +94773710394 (lk)
4th Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Workshop on Disaster
Management/Communications
2013 July 24
SMX Convention Center, 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. □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

4. 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 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)

5. Common Alerting Protocol - CAP
□ XML Schema and Document Object Model
□ Interoperable Emergency Communication Standard
□ Specifically geared for Communicating Complete Alerts
□ Capability for Digital encryption and signature X.509
□ It's for “all-hazards all-media” communication
□ Recommended by ITU-T X.1303
□ Incubated by W3C Emergency Information
Interoperability Framework
□ Can be used as a guide for structuring alerts
□ Used by USGS, WMO, Govs of AUS, CAN, USA, EU...

6. eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
What is XML?
Markup language like HTML
Designed to carry and store data
Self descriptive
W3C recommendation – (http://www.w3schools.com/w3c/w3c_xml.asp)
Why Use XML?
Interoperable: xml data can be shared between incompatible systems
Well Formed: adheres to correct syntax
Validation: structure: Document Type Definition or XML Schemas
Accessibility: Document Object Model defines the text & attributes
Header
Opening tag
Closing tag
Target Name Space
(Association)

7. CAP Document Object Model
identifier
sender
Sent
Status
msgType
Source
Scope
Restriction
Address
Code (handling code)
Note
References (Ref ID)
Incidents (Incident ID)
Language
Category
Event*
responseType
Urgency
Severity
Certainty
Audience
eventCode*
Effective (datetime)
Onset (datetime)
Expires (datetime)
senderName
Headline
Description
Instruction
Web (InformationURL)
Contact (contact details)
Parameter*
resourceDesc
mimeType
Size
URI
derefURI
digest
areaDesc
Polygon*
Circle*
Geocode*
Altitude
Ceiling
*
<ALERT>
<INFO>
<RESOURCE>
<AREA>
*
*
□<Alert> block is the “envelop”
■ Identifies the message no.,
sender, message type, scope of
audience, time sent
■ Contains one or more <info>
blocks
□<Info> carries details of the audience,
area, or time frame:
■ who, what, where, so what?
■ Multiple <info> blocks for each
language
■ The <category> is for recipients to
filter messages
■ <Urgency>, <Severity>, &
<certainty> define the message
priority
■ <Effective. and <expiration> date
■ Hazard <event> details and public
<instructions>
■ <Contact> info
■ Additional technical <parameters>
□<Area> specific geographic target area
for particular <info> block
□<Resource> additional information
■ include text, audio, or photos,
maps, video files
1
1
1

8. Purpose of the
multiple
<INFO> and
<AREA>
Cyclone NILAM-12
2012 October 31
NILAM-12
LK Met Dept
02:00 UTC
Alert
'si'
ඉහළ
කාලගුණ
'ta'
உயர்
வானிைல
'en'
HIGH
MET
North
வடக்கு
උතුර
<AREA>
<INFO>
02:00 UTC
ඊශාන
வடகிழக்கு
Northeast
NILAM-12
LK Met Dept
12:00 UTC
Update
'si'
ඉහළ
කාලගුණ
'ta'
உயர்
வானிைல
'en'
HIGH
MET
North
வடக்கு
උතුර
<INFO>
12:00 UTC
<Alert>
qualifiers

9. CAP Country Profile, the steps
Audience
Geography
Language
Technology
(1) Events
What type of incidents will you address? (e.g. geological, meteorological, … )
Pub-Sub
Events
(2) Audience <Scope>
Alert First Responders only (i.e. closed user group)
Example: police, health workers, civil society, public servants
Alert Public (entire population)
Combination of First Responders and Public
step 1: alert First-Responders to give them time to prepare
Step 2: warn public
(4) National <Languages>
English only or Chinese only or Malay only
English, Hindi, Chinese, and Malay which jurisdictions?
(3) Geographical Descriptions <Area>
Country wide
Province or State
District
Other – Geocodes or GPS polygons
(5) Communications Technology?
Mobile phones – SMS, CB, Email, Applet
TV – Text, Audio, Visual
AM/FM Radio - Text, Audio
VHF/UHF Radio - Audio
Internet – HTTP, Email, Webserviceshich jurisdictions?
(6) Publisher Subscriber Rules (OIDs and EDXL-DE)
Who can publish what alerts in which jurisdictions?
Who can subscribe to what alerts in which jurisdictions?
Who?
What?
Where?
When?

10. Managing your publishers (alerting authorities)
Use the Joint International Telecommunications Union and International Standards Organization established
Object Identifier Codes
http://www.statoids.com/ulk.html
Sri Lanka
(144)
Met
(144.0.0)
DMC
(144.0)
GMB
(144.0.1)
Health
(144.0.2)
Irrigation
(144.0.3)
Fisheries
(144.0.4)
CO-RE
(144.0.2.1)
RN-RE
(144.0.2.0)
KG-RE
(144.0.2.2)
WAR-MOH
(144.0.2.2.1)
KUL-MOH
(144.0.2.2.2)
Message
(144.1)

11. Inter and Intra jurisdictional Alerting
1) Transportation authority subscribe to
hydrological, meteorological, and geological
event category alerts.
2) Irrigation department issues a flash flood
warning for Kirinda area, with regular
updates of the flood inundation trajectories
3) Transportation authority monitors the alert
updates and forewarns the depots in the
inundation area.
4) Each bus depot and train station activates
their emergency response plans to secure
their assets
5) Wildlife authority may advise rangers to be
observant of wildlife movements on to
railways, roads, and farmlands, and
residential areas

12. WMO Register of Alerting Authorities
□ It is a way to uniquely identify national and
international alerting authorities
□ Messages originating from those authorities
can be uniquely identified
□ Typically used in the CAP <identifier>
□ OID Repository Tree: http://www.oid-
info.com/cgi-bin/display?oid=2.49.0
□ List of organizations already registered with
WMO: http://www-
db.wmo.int/alerting/authorities.html
□ For example:
□Administrative procedure for registering an
alerting authority:
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/amp/pwsp/do
cuments/AIR_PWS-20.pdf

13. Prioritizing Messages in CAP
Priority <urgency> <severity> <certainty>
Urgent Immediate Extreme Observed
High Expected Severe Observed
Low Expected Moderate Observed
Rainstorm WarningRainstorm Warning
SignalsSignals
(colour-coded)(colour-coded)
Tropical CycloneTropical Cyclone
Warning SignalsWarning Signals
(number-coded)(number-coded)

14. STEP 1: select template and create message (or reuse message)

15. STEP 2: select recipients, delivery channels, and view outputs

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

17. 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>.”

18. 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.”

19. SAMBRO Screen – SMS & Email

20. SABRO Screen Shots

21. SAMBRO Screen Shots

22. SHOW VIDEO

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

24. A few field tested pilots
CAP and Wireless
technologies to
bridge the last-mile
CAP over the HF
spectrum data
platform
CAP in
Biosurveillance for
alerting public health
officials
CAP-enabled
Interactive Voice
Alerting

25. Next Goal – CAP-enabled Pictograph Alerts

26. CAP-CAN (CANADA)
Alert Message Supplemental Info
Headline Wave Height
SMS Text Wave Arrival time
TVCrawler Arrival direction
Alert Message Supplemental Info
Headline Wave Height
SMS text Wave Arrival Time
TVcrawler Arrival Direction
1:02pm
From 280 degrees N
15 meters
The info block with Vancouver could have:
Audience
Message 1:
“Tsunami
warning in effect”
Audience
Message 2:
“Tsunami
warning in effect”
Tsunami warning in effect
WARNING: Tsunami approaching
Tsunami warning
The info block with Victoria could have:
1:05pm
From 350 degrees N
15 metersTsunami warning in effect
WARNING: Tsunami approaching
Tsunami Warning

27. China CAP-enabled Early Warning
27
Railway Financial
Civil
affairs … …… …
State
31Province
342Prefecture
2379County
Land Earthquake Water Heath
Firefighting Meteorological Traffic
Diploma
tic
“Horizontal”
Inf. Sharing
“Vertical”
A variety of
means to
outdoors
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
中国气象局中国气象局 China Meteorological Administration

28. US Public Alerting and Warning System
28

29. Pinkerton
Pinkerton’s Global Risk Group (GRG) is a specialty division with an
international charter to provide security intelligence services directly to
select Pinkerton clients and support regional offices by augmenting
traditional lines.

30. ValueClick – Alerting through Advertising
u

31. Google Public Alerts (google.org/publicalerts)
http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/www/ISS/Meetings/WIS-CAP_Geneva2011/Google.pdf

32. Conclusion
CAP is a consistent, complete, multi lingual, and interoperable global
emergency communication protocol
CAP offers standard guidelines for developing an inventory of
emergency information templates and messages
CAP should be adopted by states and organizations for their public and
closed-user-group exchange of emergency information
States or organization must first develop a CAP Profile in consultation
with all involved stakeholders; as a first step – register alerting
authorities
Profile should consider the target – audience (<scope>), jurisdictions
<area>, <Language>, Technologies, and Country specific
Publisher/Subscriber rules
Alerting agencies should adopt a “CAP Broker” for constructing and
issuing CAP messages via “tested” technologies
Recommendation to Disaster Communications Technology
Manufacturers – Make your equipment CAP compliant

33. 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