When a limited range of available values are pre-defined, well designed software will provide the user with a means of selecting the appropriate value, typically from a pick list. This eliminates the potential for entering disallowed values.
The descriptions of the user selected values below are provided to explain the available options for selected elements, and any associated restrictions.
User Selected Values
The following CAP element values are typically selected from a pick list by the user, but not always.
status
The values available for the status element are: Actual, Exercise, System, or Test.
The status value is not displayed in the final NWEM, but is used for processing at the HazCollect server. The HazCollect server will relay messages with a status of Actual or Exercise for broadcast. Test or System are not relayed for broadcast.
- If the user selects Exercise, additional NWEM text is inserted at the HazCollect server in the form:
...THIS IS A TEST EXERCISE MESSAGE. DO NOT TAKE ACTION BASED ON THIS MESSAGE...
- For real emergencies, the user should select Actual.
- msgType
The values available for the msgType element are: Alert, Error, Update, or Cancel.
- The msgType value is not displayed in the final NWEM, but is used for processing at the HazCollect server. For real emergencies, the user should select Alert, if provided a choice.
- Error, Update, or Cancel may be used by the authoring software in combination with procedures for correcting or updating an NWEM.
- language
The values available for the language element are: English or Spanish. Currently, Spanish is only valid for Puerto Rico.
- The language value is not displayed in the final NWEM. Unless located in Puerto Rico, the user should select English, if provided a choice.
- event
The values available for the event element are the full names corresponding to the event codes as listed in Chapter 2, NWEM types, e.g., Civil Emergency Message.
- The value is displayed in the final NWEM.
- The user should select the value for the event element most appropriate to the situation, as discussed in Chapter 2.
- areaDesc
The values available for the areaDesc element are the names of U.S. counties or states.
- The software should present a pick list of only those areas within the scope of the user's warning authority. For example, a state authority may have a pick list consisting of all the counties within the state, whereas a local authority may only have the option of selecting his own county.
- For state or regional warning authorities, the software should allow the selection of more than one county at a time, when required by the hazardous situation. However, only those areas for whom the warning is effective should be included.
- The areaDesc value is not displayed in the final NWEM, but is used for processing at the HazCollect server.
- expires
The expires element represents the time the NWEM is to expire in EAS, on NWR, and in NWS dissemination systems. The values available are relative to the sent/effective time described in the previous lesson, and must meet specific EAS criteria:
- The difference between the purge time and sent time cannot exceed 6 hours.
- For purge times longer than 2 hours from the time sent, the only allowable values are exact 30 minutes intervals.
- For purge times shorter than 2 hours from the time sent, the only allowable values are exact 15 minutes intervals.
- The value that is displayed in the final NWEM is derived at the HazCollect server based on the user selection, and forms the second part of the Universal Geographic Code (UGC). The corresponding Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is displayed in the format ddhhmm, i.e., day, hour, minute .
- The user should select the purge time appropriate to the hazardous situation. This time may also be based on an anticipated situation update.
Sample NWEM with User Selected Values
| WOUS43 KPAH 291706 | |
| TOEPAH | |
| KYC059-291806- | expires (UGC) |
| BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED | |
| 911 TELEPHONE OUTAGE EMERGENCY | event |
| KY DAVIESS COUNTY EMA OWENSBORO KY | |
| RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY | |
| 1106 AM CST WED OCT 29 2008 | |
| ...WIDESPREAD TELEPHONE OUTAGE IN THE AREA... | |
| THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE KY DAVIESS COUNTY EMA. | |
| THERE ARE CURRENTLY WIDESPREAD TELEPHONE OUTAGES IN THE AREA RESULTING FROM A CUT CABLE. | |
| IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY AND CANNOT REACH 9 1 1 ... GO TO YOUR NEAREST FIRE STATION FOR HELP. | |
| $$ | |
| DM4190111954887916544ATHERTONW |
Please see the following link if you would like more detailed information about how the NWS handles event times. Then check your knowledge via the self-assessment quiz on the next page.
