TPEG for Emergency Alerts & Warnings: a new specification publicly available

Technology is today continuously improving the way we travel: from monitoring traffic conditions, locating the nearest petrol station or even finding the best route, drivers today can feel like they have everything under control.

But what about those unpredictable conditions, such as landslides, flooding, thunderstorms, military or local/private security disruptions?

Sometimes it can be hard to foresee such events.

Being alerted about upcoming geophysical hazards, severe weather conditions, security, environmental and transportation disruptions can be useful and sometimes even save lives or reduce the risk injury, property loss and damage.

This is why TISA, Mecom, BKK joined forces to develop a new TPEG application, called TPEG for timely distribution of Emergency Alerts and Warnings (EAW), which sends alert warnings to drivers to prevent unfortunate situations.

TPEG EAW sends adapted alert messages to media devices, such as phones, satellites, the internet and TPEG EAW navigation devices, warning drivers in real time and ensuring compatibility with both map-based and map-less devices, so that messages are understandable also for non-native speakers/residents and visitors from foreign countries, making TPEG EAW a universally applicable warning application for domestic and international travellers.

But where does TISA come in?

TPEG EAW is based on the widely adopted Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), an international standard adopted by US, Canada, Australia, Germany for civil emergencies and severe weather, and the supported by WMO-World Meteorological Organisation with increasing roll-out across Europe for safety related weather alerts by EU-MeteoAlarm.

Aligning TPEG’s activities with CAP is essential to ensure a wide spread use of TPEG EAW. This is why TISA has set up a task force which is closely working together with the German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), as requirements from Germany are considered in alignment with other countries and national profiles for CAP, and Mecom, TISA Member since 2018.

Why public authorities?

As the distribution of official Emergency Alerts and Warnings is usually issued by public authorities and/or authorized agencies, TISA launched a call for contribution to Public Authorities to collect more requirements from other countries to meet public policy objectives, among which is the dissemination of public disaster alerts. Although the call is now closed, TISA remains available to answer to any questions or additional requirements coming from Public Authorities.

The specification is available free of charge at the TISA webshop.

Any contribution, particularly from Public Authorities, is welcome. Please contact TISA’s Executive Office at info@tisa.org.