DHS Tests Next Generation Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Alerting Technology

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) concluded a proof-of-concept demonstration of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) integration model in Fairfax County, VA. The model integrates next generation technologies with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS) enabling alerting authorities to disseminate Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) with new capabilities such as displaying hazard and evacuation alert information on the "infotainment" screens in vehicles. Simulating real-world events, the demonstration was conducted at the Fairfax Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and in a field location in Fairfax County, in collaboration with the FEMA IPAWS Program, Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management and HAAS Alert, Inc.

Integrating IPAWS with new technologies, such as GPS navigation applications and cutting-edge technologies, could enable critical information, such as evacuation routes and safety zones, to be communicated to the public in near real-time in their vehicles’ entertainment and navigation systems.