Emergency (EAS)/Amber Alert Messaging

Application Name: Automated Alert Bulletin
Today, many subscribers may not be watching television when a message, usually a crawler at the bottom of the screen, is emitted by the national Emergency Alert System (EAS), normally used to announce severe weather alerts. Subscribers with broadband connections may instead be online, connected to the Internet at the time an alert is broadcast. This application places into the subscriber’s browser the same EAS message that appears on his or her TV, if it is powered on, targeted to exactly the same geographically-identified households. PerfTech has developed an interface to the standard devices used by video Providers that enable the EAS system, and automatically formats the message for in-browser display, no matter which site the subscriber is browsing. Similarly, the national Amber Alert RSS feed can automatically notify Internet subscribers when an Amber Alert has been activated for their area.

Benefits:

• Notifies browsing Internet subscribers of impending severe weather or hazards, according to the same geographic parameters as TV alerts
• Operates in automated mode; no human intervention by the Provider is required
• Provider can include links to important information for critical pre-disaster access, such as maps, evacuation instructions, shelter locations, etc.
• Geographically-targeted Amber alerts can be received online automatically.
• Subscriber opt-out is available for Amber or low-level warnings
• Providers may offer advertising in the form of emergency alert sponsorships, and thus generate additional revenue