Since all NWEM authoring software must comply with a technical standard, the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), and additional NWS requirements, different authoring tools will work in essentially the same way. This allows us to discuss how to use NWEM authoring software to compose an NWEM in a generic way. Gaining a basic understanding of CAP will serve the warning authority well, not only for immediate use with HazCollect, but also in the longer term, as new systems and technologies based on the CAP standard are implemented nationwide.

The goal of this chapter is to explain the purpose and function of NWEM data elements so that you may apply them appropriately, regardless of which NWEM authoring software you use, and describes those elements essential to the composition of an NWEM. Once you have completed this chapter, you will:

• have a general understanding of essential NWEM data elements, including those whose values are:
  • typically derived by the authoring software
  • typically selected by the user
  • composed by the user
  • added at the HazCollect server;
• be able to apply knowledge of formatting requirements and text-to-voice considerations; and
• be able to identify the source of each part of the final NWEM that is issued through the HazCollect sytem.