During a crisis, seconds matter and emergency alerts save lives when used properly. But recent floods in Texas and wildfires in California have highlighted, yet again, how alert failures can turn deadly. That’s why Congressman Kevin Mullin (CA-15) introduced the bipartisan Resilient Emergency Alert Communications and Training (REACT) Act, which seeks to authorize millions of dollars and federal support for local emergency officials to improve their emergency alert and warning systems through increased training and testing.
The backbone of America’s emergency notifications is FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which includes wireless emergency alerts that can be pushed to cell phones, as well as radio and tv alerts. These alerts can be sent by groups like the National Weather Service, as well as local emergency managers, though not every community has a local authority that participates. Some local agencies also use third-party systems that provide additional alerting flexibility. But to be truly effective, mere access to a warning system is not sufficient. Instead, many emergency management experts agree: systems must be tested before a real emergency occurs with trained operators, clear procedures, and an informed public.
The REACT Act aims to help communities test and improve their emergency alert systems by directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to:
- Offer technical assistance to state, local and tribal governments to improve emergency alert capacity and effectiveness
- Help develop evidence-based alert message templates and public education campaigns explaining how the those experiencing a disaster should respond
- Publish an annual report tracking which communities are conducting exercises, testing and public education of emergency alert systems
- Authorize $30 million annually through 2035 to support field training, live testing and community-based exercises of alert systems
Learn more about the REACT Act by reading a press release here. Full bill text is available here. Track the progress of the bill here.