Public Response to Alerts and Warnings on Mobile Devices: Current Knowledge and Research Needs

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The Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act of 2006 established the Department of Homeland Security's Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS) to enable a national capability to deliver alert messages to mobile devices for as much of the population as possible. This award funds a workshop to be hosted and managed by the National Academy of Sciences focused on understanding the state of the art for mobile emergency warning and to develop a research agenda to address intellectual gaps in the current understanding. Although alert and warning issues have been extensively studied for some time, relatively less is known about the opportunities and challenges associated with using cellular phones and other mobile communications devices, including the challenges of effectively communicating warning information using very brief text messages. Developing a fuller understanding of these issues and framing future research needs involves research, expertise, and practical knowledge from multiple disciplines. The proposed workshop would provide a forum for such a multidisciplinary exploration. The discussions at the workshop and the material presented in the report will contribute to a better understanding of how the public will respond to alerts and warnings delivered over mobile devices. This understanding can inform the Department of Homeland Security?s implementation of the CMAS program and influence how messages are crafted (including what needs to be provided to the public in terms of education and training) and other facets of CMAS implementation and operation.