The Forestry Commission has a new tool in its communication arsenal to let the public know about State Forester’s Burning Bans.
Thanks to a memorandum of understanding recently developed by the Forestry Commission and the SC Emergency Management Division, notices of burning bans will now be shared via the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System. IPAWS is the national alerting system that allows authorized agencies to send emergency messages to the public through multiple communication pathways. SCEMD is the agency responsible for statewide coordination and planning of IPAWS in South Carolina.
Those notifications will come in the form of emergency wireless alerts delivered via text message and broadcast interruptions delivered via the Emergency Alert System.
Operationally, SCFC will initiate its request for an IPAWS alert to SCEMD as part of its normal public information activities, including through press releases, media outreach, push notifications via the agency’s mobile app, social media messages and website pop-up windows. The decision to deploy WEA and/or EAS would depend on the severity and location of the situation and burning ban. For example, if a State Forester’s Burning Ban is issued within a single county or less, EAS would most likely not be necessary, and SCEMD could issue a WEA for the small geographic region. However, if a State Forester’s Burning Ban was called for most or all of the state and there were severe wildfires already occurring across the state, an EAS message supplementing the WEA likely would be issued as well.
Agreeing that IPAWS is intended for rapid dissemination of information to encourage public attention and action and that burning bans constitute an emergency of sufficient proportion, SCFC and SCEMD formalized this coordinated protocol for message development and dissemination in the interest of public safety.
Members of the general public do not have to sign up for IPAWS alerts. Wireless emergency alerts look like text messages, are delivered automatically through all network carriers and are designed to garner attention with a unique sound and vibration repeated twice. WEAs are no more than 360 characters and include the type and time of the alert, any action that should be taken and the agency issuing the alert.
IPAWS messages delivered via the Emergency Alert System appear as interruptions to live radio and television broadcasts providing the public with the same details as mentioned above. It’s important to note that cable television providers may not choose to broadcast Emergency Alert System messages over their networks.
The MOU does not cover Red Flag Fire Alerts issued by the Forestry Commission.