OnSolve Partners With Public Safety Experts to Release First-Ever Guide to Help Agencies Close the Preparedness Gap

OnSolve, a leading critical event management provider that helps organizations mitigate physical threats and remain agile when a crisis strikes, today announced the release of the first-ever guide designed to help public safety officials send Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) alerts with greater confidence during high-stress emergency situations.

OnSolve has developed a new resource, entitled In Control: A Guide to Navigating Emergency Alerting With Authority and Precision. The guide focuses on how public safety officials can build their competence and confidence when it comes to sending alerts through IPAWS, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) national system for local alerting. This is one of the most powerful communications networks to help federal, state, local, tribal and territorial public safety agencies keep communities informed and safe, and agencies need software like OnSolve CodeRED® to use it.

Physical threats continue to increase in frequency and cost, with 100 percent of U.S. government leaders saying their agency experienced a physical threat in the last 24 months, according to the 2024 OnSolve Global Risk Impact Report. However, a preparedness gap exists when it comes to planning and responding to such threats. Thirty-seven percent of state and local leaders say limited upskilling or training creates the biggest gap and challenge in their agency’s planning, response and recovery program.

To help close this gap in agencies’ ability to communicate critical information to the communities they serve at no cost to the government community, OnSolve developed this new guide in collaboration with Peter Gaynor, Vice President, Resilience and Disaster Recovery, Hill International, and former FEMA Administrator, and Eddie Bertola, founder of Bertola Advisory Services and an emergency alerting subject matter expert.

“IPAWS plays a crucial role in effective emergency response at both the state and local levels,” said Mark Herrington, CEO, OnSolve. “We’ve been working closely with Peter Gaynor and Eddie Bertola for quite some time now. This guide documents their insight and expertise around IPAWS and the entire emergency alerting process. It’s a valuable asset that will help public safety officials do their jobs more effectively and efficiently – and save more lives during an emergency.”

Despite the vital role of IPAWS, there are a growing number of instances in which lifesaving emergency alerts are sent out too late or not at all. Gaynor and Bertola cite three key reasons that emergency managers hesitate: Fear, lack of training and a lack of confidence in pressing the send button on an IPAWS alert.

"We’ve come a long way in building a technologically reliable national alert and warning system,” said Gaynor. “However, we have failed in the soft skills needed to ensure those charged with pushing the ‘send message’ button have the appropriate level of confidence that their action will result in a positive outcome.”

The guide includes tips, tools and tactics designed to build confidence. Information is divided into mission critical and continuing education sections for easy navigation, and covers:

• Expert advice on how to build an effective emergency alerting program
• Best practices for training, education and message creation
• A concise checklist to guide agencies through all aspects of emergency alerting

“This resource gives public safety agencies something they’ve never had before: A collection of the knowledge, tools and training they need to continuously and incrementally increase their team’s competence in the process and technology of emergency alerting,” Bertola said. “In an emergency situation, it’s often the easy things that get overlooked and quickly become a problem. But with attention and practice, emergency managers can shift their mindset and fear inaction rather than mistakes. When the time comes, they can answer the call to save lives without hesitation.”