Lessons LearnedEnd to End CAP Alerting Systems
WMO CAP Implementers Workshop Geneva, Switzerland
Norm Paulsen
Environment Canada
April 24, 2013
Page 2 – April 20, 2023
Introduction
• Environment Canada as an issuer of warnings distributed nearly 100,000 CAP messages last year
• Environment Canada has numerous clients, and client types, for all of our CAP messages
• Clients, in feedback to us, have many and different needs when it comes to alerting information
• All of that information as a whole can be accommodated in CAP
• The following are a number of lessons learned and solutions employing CAP, CAP-CP and our own alerting model.
Page 3 – April 20, 2023
1) Defining “alert”
• Confusion over what an ALERT is has led to problems in the “issuing authority” / “last mile distributor” relationship in Canada.
• Example: a typical series of EC warning messages
• How many ALERTS in this scenario?
• Answer: It depends on whose point of view.
at… Warning Status Referenced Locations
1pm Issued 2 - active
Ended3pm
Continued 1 - active, 1 - ended2pm
1 - ended
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2) Defining “message”
• Confusion over what a MESSAGE is has led to problems in the “issuing authority” / “last mile distributor” relationship in Canada.
• How many MESSAGES in this scenario?
• How many audience messages?
• Answer: It depends on whose point of view.
at… Warning Status Referenced Locations
1pm Issued 2 - active
Ended3pm
Continued 1 - active, 1- ended2pm
1 - ended
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CAP Definitions
• CAP is a message protocol and conveniently doesn’t define what an alert is.
• CAP does define what a message is.
• CAP defines 3 messages for this scenario.
• Each message supersedes the previous message.
at… CAP message Referenced Locations
1pm <msgType>alert 2 - active
<msgType>cancel3pm
<msgType>update 1 - active, 1- ended2pm
1 - ended
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Last Mile Distributor Lessons
•
• The audience message is distinguishable in space
• The last mile distributor wants the right audience message for the right place
at…
CAP message
Referenced Locations
<msgType>alert
2 - active
1pm2pm
<msgType>update
1 - active, 1 - ended
3pm
<msgType>cancel
1 - ended
The 1pm CAP message has 1 audience messageThe 2pm CAP message has 2 audience messagesThe 3pm CAP message has 1 audience message
Audience Message 1:
“Run for Cover”
Audience Message 1:
“Run for Cover”
Audience Message 2: “It’s over”
Audience Message 1:
“Run for Cover”
Audience Message 1: “It’s over”
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Audience Messages Appear in Separate <info> Blocks
- <alert> <msgType>Alert</msgType> <sent>1pm</sent>- <info> <responseType>Monitor</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Immediate</urgency> <severity>Severe</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>3pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning in
effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Penticton</areaDesc> </area> </info>- <info> <responseType>Monitor</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Immediate</urgency> <severity>Severe</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>3pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning in
effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Kelowna</areaDesc> </area> </info> </alert>
- <alert> <msgType>Update</msgType> <sent>2pm</sent>- <info> <responseType>Monitor</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Immediate</urgency> <severity>Severe</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>4pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning in
effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Penticton</areaDesc> </area> </info>- <info> <responseType>AllClear</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Past</urgency> <severity>Minor</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>3pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning
ended</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Kelowna</areaDesc> </area> </info> </alert>
- <alert> <msgType>Cancel</msgType> <sent>3pm</sent>- <info> <responseType>AllClear</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Past</urgency> <severity>Minor</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>4pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning
ended</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Penticton</areaDesc> </area> </info> </alert>
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3) Defining “subject event”
• Confusion over SUBJECT EVENT and ALERT MESSAGE has led to problems in the “issuing authority” / “last mile distributor” relationship in Canada.
• The following example is 1 CAP message with 2 events and 3 audience messages.
– LMD expecting 1 audience message, but assumes that means 1 event
– Confusion over expires referring to the event as opposed to the audience message
- <alert> - <info> <event>Snowfall</event> <urgency>Immediate</urgency> <severity>Severe</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>3pm</expires> <headline>Snowfall warning in effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Edmonton</areaDesc> </area> </info>- <info> <event>Snowfall</event> <urgency>Past</urgency> <severity>Minor</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>1pm</expires> <headline>Snowfall warning ended</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Calgary</areaDesc> </area> </info>- <info> <event>Roof Collapse</event> <urgency>Future</urgency> <severity>Extreme</severity> <certainty>Likely</certainty> <expires>Friday</expires> <headline>Roof Collapse warning in
effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Edmonton Arena</areaDesc> </area> </info> </alert>
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CAP Definitions
• Several CAP elements make reference to a subject event
• Several CAP elements make reference to an alert message
Element Definition
category The code denoting the category of the subject event of the alert message
onset The expected time of the beginning of the subject event of the alert message
severity The code denoting the severity of the subject event of the alert message
Element Definition
headline The text headline of the alert message
instruction The text describing the recommended action to be taken by recipients of the alert message
areaDesc The text describing the affected area of the alert message
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Alert Message Subject Event
Headline Event
Effective Onset
Severity / Instruction Event Code
Last Mile Distributor Lessons
Alert Message Subject Event
Headline Event
Effective Onset
Severity / Instruction Event Code
1:02pm
???
Tsunami
The Vancouver <areaDesc> has:
Audience Message 1: “Tsunami
warning in effect”
Audience Message 2: “Tsunami
warning in effect”
Tsunami warning in effect
Extreme / Run for the hills
12:48pm
The Victoria <areaDesc> has:
1:05pm
???
TsunamiTsunami warning in effect
Severe / Take shelter
12:48pm
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4) Supplementary non-standard CAP Information
• Last mile distributors in public alerting tend to want customized alert message information
• Emergency managers in peer to peer alerting tend to want customized subject event information
- <alert> <info> <headline>tsunami warning in effect for southwest Vancouver coastline</headline>* </info> </alert>*Headline constrained to 140 characters.
- <alert> <info> <parameter> <valueName>Wave_Arrival_Time</valueName>* <value>1:02pm</value> </parameter> </info> </alert>*Parameter value for wave arrival time a community standard
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Supplementary Information Solution
• Alert issuer in Canada accommodates both client groups by using a concept known as a “layer”.
– A business can define a collection of supplementary information elements (what we call a layer)
– Using existing mechanisms in CAP, we can insert a layer of information into each CAP message
<parameter> <valueName>layer:EC-MSC-SMC:1.0:Alert_Type</valueName> <value>warning</value> </parameter>
<area> <geocode> <valueName>layer:EC-MSC-SMC:1.0:CLC</valueName> <value>062300</value> </geocode></area>
<parameter> <valueName>layer:SOREM:1.0:Broadcast_Immediately</valueName> <value>No</value> </parameter><eventCode> <valueName>profile:CAP-CP:Event:0.4</valueName> <value>snowfall</value> </eventCode>
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Alberta
• Alberta coordinates a CAP system with their downstream broadcast partners
• Alberta aggregates our CAP, inserts their own layer and re-originates the CAP message to their partners
- <alert> <identifier>x1475b</identifier> <msgType>Update</msgType> <sent>2pm</sent> <code>layer:AEMA:1.0</code> </info> <senderName>Alberta</senderName> <parameter> <valueName>layer:AEMA:1.0:TvCrawler</valueName> <value>Tornado warning for Edmonton and surrounding area.
Warning in effect until 2pm</value> </parameter> <parameter> <valueName>layer:AEMA:1.0:SMSText</valueName> <value>Tornado Warning</value> </parameter> <parameter> <valueName>layer:AEMA:1.0:WebPageBanner</valueName> <value>Tornado Warning in effect</value> </parameter> </info> </alert>
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OASIS and CAP
• OASIS working through a formalization of the concepts on a broader scale
• CAP already has mechanisms in place to handle concepts of layers and profiles (sample of some of the elements below)
Profile Constraint Optional CAP element constrained to being a required element (i.e. <language>, <expires>)
Profile Constraint Optional CAP elements <eventCode> and <geocode> constrained to a predefined list
Profile Constraint Define a required <parameter> element for community defined use
Layer Extension Define a geocode scheme to match an existing operational enviornment
Layer Extension CAP message extended to customized medium message (i.e. <parameter>)
Layer Extension CAP message extended to provide event details (i.e. <parameter>)
Page 15 – April 20, 2023
Customization
• Depending on the end client for the CAP message, there are different pieces of information that are of interest
• This suggests a different CAP message for each end client…or…
• An all inclusive CAP message where each end client can retrieve for themselves what is of interest to them
• The latter is easier to do from the point of view of the originator and the former is easier from the point of view of the end client
• The approach within Environment Canada is to promote customization of the CAP XML message
Page 16 – April 20, 2023
Customization (2)
• Use one operation to create the all inclusive CAP message and then customize that CAP message
• Take the CAP message file and copy it and customize it to a specific end client’s needs
- <alert> <identifier>2.49.0.1.124.4a8ca858.2013</identifier> <msgType>Update</msgType> <sent>2pm</sent>
- <info> <senderName>Environment Canada</senderName> <responseType>AllClear</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Past</urgency> <severity>Minor</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>3pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning ended</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Kelowna</areaDesc> </area> </info>- <info> <senderName>Environment Canada</senderName> <responseType>Monitor</responseType> <event>Tornado</event> <urgency>Immediate</urgency> <severity>Severe</severity> <certainty>Observed</certainty> <expires>4pm</expires> <headline>Tornado warning in effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Penticton</areaDesc> </area> </info> </alert>
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Customization (2)
• Use one operation to create the all inclusive CAP message and then customize that CAP message
• Take the CAP message file and copy it and customize it to a specific end client’s needs
- <alert> <identifier>2.49.0.1.124.4a8ca858.2013</identifier> <msgType>Update</msgType> <sent>2pm</sent>
<info> <senderName>Environment Canada</senderName> <language>English</language> <event>tornado</event> <expires>4pm</expires> <headline>tornado warning in effect</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Penticton</areaDesc> </area> </info>- <info> <senderName>Environnement Canada</senderName> <language>French</language> <event>tornade</event> <expires>4pm</expires> <headline>alerte de tornade en vigueur</headline>- <area> <areaDesc>Penticton</areaDesc> </area> </info> </alert>
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Customization (2)
• Use one operation to create the all inclusive CAP message and then customize that CAP message
• Take the CAP message file and copy it and customize it to a specific end client’s needs
- <alert> <msgType>Update</msgType> <sent>2pm</sent> <code>layer:SOREM:1.0</code>
<parameter> <valueName>layer:EC-MSC-SMC:1.0:Alert_Type</valueName> <value>warning</value> </parameter><parameter> <valueName>layer:SOREM:1.0:Broadcast_Immediately</valueName> <value>No</value> </parameter></info> </alert>
<code>layer:EC-MSC-SMC:1.0</code><info><senderName>Environment Canada</senderName>
<code>layer:AEMA:1.0</code>
<parameter> <valueName>layer:AEMA:1.0:TvCrawler</valueName> <value>Tornado warning for Edmonton and surrounding area. Warning in effect until 2pm</value> </parameter>
<identifier>x1475b</identifier>
<senderName>Alberta</senderName>
<identifier>2.49.0.1.124.4a8ca858.2013</identifier>
<info>