What is Integrated Weather Alerting?

Organizations that require the latest information on severe weather events can enhance their

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system by using Integrated Weather Alerts (IWA). To stay informed about potential weather incidents such as tornadoes, floods, and dust storms, IWA subscribers receive critical warnings and forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS). All weather-related information can be incorporated into targeted alerts using a variety of delivery devices available in the

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system.

The following are the key features of IWA:

Instant alerts of critical weather conditions to targeted personnel

IWA can be configured to automatically send alerts to the appropriate personnel. IWA distributes emergency weather alerts to targeted personnel using network-connected devices including computers, SMS, and mobile phones. Emergency operators can decide if they want the system to alert their center first so they can qualify the situation before sending out an alert, or have the system automatically send alerts to predefined groups once threats are identified.

Flexible weather information sources

IWA includes out-of-the-box integration with the NWS. It can also be configured to work with other standard GeoJSON-based weather data feeds.

Automatic monitoring of specific weather conditions

Operators set criteria for the types of weather situations that qualify as emergencies. The system automatically monitors events and alerts personnel when the criteria are met. For example, the system can be programmed to alert emergency operators only when hurricanes in the region reach a specific severity level. The qualifications of a threat differ for each installation and each site can customize the alerting preferences to meet its requirements.

The benefit of automatic monitoring is in increased accuracy, quick delivery of alerts, and the ability to receive events during off-duty hours.

Pre-programmed actions for specific weather conditions

Operators can pre-program specific alert templates that are activated automatically when a specific weather situation is identified.

Target users with geo-targeting

Refine your alert targeting using geo-targeting. Select a location on a map to alert users in a specific location about weather events that are the most relevant to them.

Assured alert delivery and acknowledgment

The

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system tracks who has received the alert, and if relevant, acknowledges its receipt. This assures that the appropriate personnel received the notification.

How Integrated Weather Alerts works

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Integrated Weather Alerts polls weather feeds from the NWS and records them in the

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database. IWA processes incoming feeds based on event location, type, and severity. When a feed matches the configured conditions, an alert is triggered and sent to end users.