On September 12th, the Office of Emergency Management will be conducting a test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system to measure enhanced geo-targeting capabilities for the delivery of critical life safety messages more accurately.
SUMMIT COUNTY – On September 12th at 10:00 a.m., The Summit County Office of Emergency Management will be conducting a live test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system to measure enhanced geo-targeting capabilities for the delivery of critical life safety messages during times of emergency.
The test, in partnership with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and 40 other jurisdictions nationwide, includes a test message delivered to cellular devices in Summit County within a 1.5 mile radius around I-70 Exit 205 in Silverthorne.
According to Brian Bovaird, Director of Emergency Management for Summit County, the mountainous geography of our county has presented challenges for emergency management officials charged with alerting the public to life safety issues in specific geographic areas. During the height of COVID, for example, many devices in Summit County received alerts intended for other counties. “It’s not uncommon to have geo-located messages extend beyond the defined geographic parameters,” he said.
The testing parameters will include:
- The percentage of eligible devices for whom the alert is intended that actually receive it;
- How quickly a person in the target test area receives the alert message;
- The extent to which the alert message is delivered outside of the target test area.
Volunteers Sought to Participate
Volunteers who will be in the county between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on the 12th are being sought by the Office of Emergency Management to help provide feedback. “The data captured from this test will be extremely valuable in analyzing how these geo-targeted messages are received and will further guide our policies on how and when these types of alerts are issued,” Bovaird added.
Members of the public interested in volunteering are encouraged to sign up at this link: https://forms.gle/1wqg8frAM36XuP4L8
Contacts
Brian Bovaird, Director, Summit County Office of Emergency Management at 970-668-2999 or brian.bovaird@summitcountyco.gov
David Rossi, Interim Communications Director, 970-453-3428, or david.rossi@summitcountyco.gov
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