West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

Operations Manual

NOAA/NWS/WCATWC

910 South Felton Street

Palmer, Alaska 99645

 

 

Section 5.3: Overview of Product Dissemination Paths

 

Last Updated: 5/2007

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Summary of Message Dissemination Methods at the

West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

 

Service

Owner or Operating Agency

Primary user audience

* AFTN

FAA

FAA Regional Operations Centers, Flight Service Stations and Alaska WSO’s

* Line 223

NWS

NWS Offices via AWIPS, NWS Telecommunications Gateway to EMWIN, Family of Services, Global telecommunications system, …

* NOAA Weather Wire

NWS

National Weather Service forecast subscribers and U.S./Canada emergency management agencies

NAWAS

FEMA

Emergency management agencies nationwide.

AKWAS

Alaska DHS&EM/FEMA

Emergency management offices in State of Alaska

VHF radio

Alaska DHS&EM

Alaska DHS&EM, AK State Troopers, Palmer Police

Satellite Phone Backup

WCATWC & PTWC

Tsunami Warning Centers (emergency backup communications)

*QDDS

USGS

Internet based earthquake information dissemination tool.

*INTERNET (web site, email, RSS, and cell phone text messaging)

Public

International and domestic government agencies, academic institutions and the public in general

Telephone

Public

A Primary and Secondary phone list is maintained

 

Text messages are automatically composed by the message generation software.  The wording of the text is dependant on the size and location of the earthquake.  An asterisk (*) in the table above indicates messages are transmitted on these systems simultaneously from the Operations console at the center.  Figure 1 shows main communications paths and recipients. 

 

Figure 1 - Tsunami Warning Center message communications

 

AFTN - The Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network is a world-wide communications system for the exchange of messages and/or digital data between stations primarily for the safety of air navigation and other air services. Since most flight service facilities must be cognizant of current aviation weather forecasts, many weather forecast offices are provided with AFTN terminals.  Messages over this media must be specifically addressed to recipients.  Collective addresses are used to transmit to the Alaska Weather Service Offices, Weather Forecast Offices, Flight Service Stations, and FAA regional Operation Centers nationwide.

 

Line 223 – This is the NWS Telecommunication Gateway’s numerical designation of a high speed circuit between NWS Telecommunications Gateway in Silver Spring MD and the Alaska Regional Headquarters (ARH) in Anchorage AK.  The WCATWC transmits and receives messages to and from this line via a socket connection to a server at the ARH.  Transmitting on this line to ARH provides tsunami products to AWIPs and a secondary route into the NOAA Weather Wire system at the Anchorage WFO.  This routing also provides tsunami messages to the NWS telecommunications gateway, and from there to a multitude of NWS communication services such as EMWIN, Family of Services, and the Global telecommunications system.

 

NOAA Weather Wire - The NOAA Weather Wire is a satellite broadcast service maintained by the NWS to disseminate weather products domestically. Both the West Coast/Alaska America Tsunami Warning Center and PTWC have uplink and downlink capability on the NWW system. Users of the NWW system consist of Weather Service Offices, state and provincial emergency management agencies, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Receiver sites can program their selector box to receive any number of selected NWS products (or messages). 

 

NAWAS - The NAational WArning System is a nationwide dedicated voice telephone system connecting selected defense, National Weather Service, emergency management, and Coast Guard agencies. The circuit is supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Control over transmissions on the circuit is maintained by the FEMA Operations Center or the FEMA Alternate Operations Center.

 

AKWAS - The AlasKa WArning System is a statewide dedicated voice telephone system connecting Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHS&EM), National Guard, Law Enforcement and Weather Service Offices. The circuit is supported by the FEMA and the Alaska DHS&EM. Control over transmissions on the circuit is maintained by the State Warning Point at Fort Richardson, Alaska.

 

VHF Radio – Broadcasting on 155.295 (Emergency Area Command Frequency) and 155.250 MHZ this system provides emergency voice communications to the Alaska DHS&EM, Alaska State Troopers, and Palmer Police.  Warning messages are only transmitted by this means in absence of primary communications.

 

Satellite Phone – This phone system is for emergency communications between the two tsunami warning centers and other primary message recipients.  It is intended for use when other normal communications systems have failed.

 

QDDS – An earthquake information dissemination tool operated by the United States Geological Survey.  The internet is used to transmit earthquake information to USGS servers where it is disseminated to various web sites and agencies.

 

Internet –Group email lists (emergency managers) are maintained.  Watch/Warning messages and Tsunami Information Statements (WExxxx) are sent to the full set, whereas messages regarding lesser events (SExxxx)are sent to a smaller subset.  Shortened cell phone pager messages are also transmitted via internet to emergency managers.  A public web site is maintained at http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/ where current event messages and maps are posted. The web site also provides a large amount of educational, safety, and scientific information.  A public email and cell phone text messaging service is also available through the WCATWC web site, as well as RSS feeds and XML/CAP format products.

 

Telephone – Primary and Secondary telephone lists are maintained.  A short call down list is notified after events.