In Part II of our deep dive into the groundbreaking RAND national alerting study, we go beyond the headline stat that 91% of Americans received the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) and uncover the real story: who didn’t—and why it matters.

Host Jeannette Sutton is joined again by RAND researchers Rachel Steratore and Andy Parker to explore critical gaps in emergency alert systems, including:

• Why rural communities are less likely to receive alerts
• How age, device type, and mobile carriers impact delivery
• The surprising truth about opt-out behavior (especially among younger and lower-income users)
• The role of awareness, trust, and alert fatigue in public response
• How disability, language, and accessibility factor into alert effectiveness
• Why “sending the alert” doesn’t guarantee people actually receive—or act on—it

This episode also tackles one of the biggest unanswered questions in emergency communication: Do alerts actually lead to action?

You’ll hear insights on:

• The difference between receiving, understanding, and acting on alerts
• How risk perception (fear vs. familiarity) shapes behavior
• Why education and public awareness are major missing pieces
• The future of alerting across devices (phones, watches, smart tech, and more)
• What the next generation of research must focus on

If you’re an emergency manager, public safety professional, researcher, or just someone curious about how alerts work during real crises—this episode is essential listening.

👉 Watch Part I first for the full context of the RAND study
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share to help improve public safety awareness

In this gripping episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Eric Queller, Emergency Manager for the mountain community of Ruidoso, to unpack one of the most intense wildfire response operations in recent memory.

What began as a routine fire-weather day on June 17, 2024, quickly escalated into a fast-moving disaster as the South Fork and Salt Fires ignited within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), threatening thousands of residents and tens of thousands of seasonal visitors. Within hours, a quiet mountain town of 7,000 surged into crisis mode—with a population nearing 90,000 during peak tourist season.

Eric provides a vivid, moment-by-moment account of the day everything changed: from the first call reporting smoke in Upper Canyon, to hearing elite firefighting crews forced to retreat due to extreme fire behavior, to the realization that this was no ordinary incident—but a worst-case scenario unfolding in real time.

Listeners are taken inside the Emergency Operations Center as it rapidly escalates from routine monitoring to full Level 1 activation. Eric recounts the weight of critical decisions, including issuing a rare and urgent “GO NOW” evacuation alert that ultimately led to the full evacuation of Ruidoso—something the town had never practiced at scale.

This episode dives deep into the realities of modern emergency management, including:

-The challenges of protecting a high-risk Wildland-Urban Interface community

-Managing a dynamic population with tens of thousands of tourists unfamiliar with local risks

-The strengths and limitations of the Ready, Set, Go framework—and why it may fall short in real-world scenarios

-How clear, plain-language alerts can cut through confusion and save lives
The importance of multi-channel alerting systems, including IPAWS, Wireless

-Emergency Alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, AM/FM broadcasting, and even door-to-door notifications

-The role of local infrastructure—like Ruidoso’s own government-run radio station—in delivering trusted, continuous communication during crisis

Eric also shares the emotional and operational intensity of working nearly four straight days without rest, coordinating with state officials, and making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information—all while the fire spread rapidly across rugged terrain.

Beyond the fire itself, the conversation foreshadows the cascading disasters that often follow wildfires, including flash flooding risks in burn-scarred landscapes—highlighting why emergency management doesn’t end when the flames go out.

This episode is both a masterclass in crisis communication and a sobering reminder of how quickly disasters can escalate—and how critical timely, decisive alerts are in protecting lives.

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Dan Vasquez, former Alert & Warning Coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services, to break down how one region built one of the most coordinated emergency alerting systems in the United States.

From wildfires and hurricanes to multilingual communication and accessibility, Dan shares the real story behind:

• Training 190+ alert originators across 18 cities and a county
• Preventing mistakes like the infamous Hawaii false missile alert
• Writing clear alerts using Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)
• Coordinating alerts across multiple jurisdictions
• Reaching multilingual communities with trusted messengers
• Building the Partner Relay network for accessible crisis communication
• Creating policies and agreements that took 20 months to finalize

You’ll also hear how San Diego’s Unified Disaster Council model allows multiple jurisdictions to collaborate on warning systems, funding, and training, something many emergency management agencies are trying to replicate.

Plus, Dan explains the work of the Language Accessibility Alert & Warning Workgroup, a national initiative focused on making emergency alerts accessible to everyone, regardless of language, disability, or technology.

If you work in emergency management, public safety, crisis communication, or government technology, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on how to deliver alerts that are accurate, timely, and accessible.

In this episode of the Alerting Authority Podcast, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola discuss winter storm alerts, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), and real-world emergency communication examples from across the United States. From the 2022 Buffalo blizzard to recent extreme cold warnings, the hosts analyze how local emergency managers used alert origination software, warning templates, and public safety messaging to keep communities informed.

The episode highlights best practices for emergency alerts, the importance of layered communication, and how agencies can improve preparedness through message templates, training, and planning. Learn how alerting authorities can better serve vulnerable populations, provide shelter information, and use WEA, social media, and local partnerships to deliver life-saving information.

Sponsored by HQE Systems — providing next-generation outdoor warning sirens, indoor notification systems, and alert origination software controlled from one platform.

Subscribe for more emergency management, public warning, and disaster communication insights.

Former FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell joins The Alerting Authority, sponsored by HQE Systems, to discuss what it was really like to send the nationwide IPAWS emergency alert to every phone in the United States.

In this episode, Criswell shares behind-the-scenes insights from the 2023 national emergency alert test, explains how FEMA manages the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), and discusses the growing challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and foreign influence during disasters.

Hosts Eddie Bertola and Dr. Jeannette Sutton explore how emergency managers can build trusted community networks, improve Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) messaging, and ensure equitable alerting for diverse populations.

Criswell also reflects on her time leading FEMA, responding to major disasters, and why people-first emergency management and equity are critical to disaster preparedness and recovery.

Topics covered include:

- Sending the national emergency alert to every U.S. phone

- How IPAWS and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) work

- Misinformation and foreign influence during disasters

- Building trusted communication networks in communities

- Equity in emergency management and disaster recovery

- Lessons for local alerting authorities and emergency managers

- The future of public alerting and warning systems

If you work in emergency management, public safety, disaster communications, or crisis response, this episode provides critical insights into the future of public warning systems and disaster communication.

This episode is sponsored by HQEsystems.com

This episode of The Alerting Authority features emergency manager Ashley Morris, whose journey from childhood storm enthusiast in New Mexico to community-focused alerting leader in Central Texas blends meteorology, public engagement, and hands-on system building.

Ashley shares how her early dream of working for the National Weather Service evolved into a career in emergency management—where science, social media strategy, and relationship-building intersect. From launching alerting programs from scratch to developing policy across agencies, she discusses what it takes to build confidence, competence, and collaboration around tools like FEMA’s IPAWS.

The conversation explores:

• Growing social media presence from zero followers in a rural, tourism-driven Texas county
• Partnering with chambers of commerce, small businesses, and community leaders to amplify messaging
• Lessons learned from larger jurisdictions like Fairfax County and applying them in smaller communities
• The importance of policy, redundancy, and hands-on training in alerting systems
• Why visibility, trust, and relationships matter just as much as technology
• The future of alerting—from AI and the Internet of Things to flood warning innovations in Texas

Ashley emphasizes a powerful truth: if emergency management isn’t visible, it doesn’t exist. This episode is packed with practical insights for alerting authorities, PIOs, and emergency managers looking to strengthen trust, improve alerting confidence, and build resilient communities before the next disaster strikes.

This episode of The Alerting Authority is brought to by HQE Systems.

How can emergency alerts truly reach everyone, especially people with disabilities and access/ functional needs?

In this powerful episode, we welcome Vance Taylor, Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Vance shares his personal journey, leadership philosophy, and groundbreaking work to transform inclusive emergency management across California and the nation.

We explore:

• Why timing matters more than perfectly worded alerts
• The dangers of disaster registries — and what works better
• Enhanced alerting systems and early notification models
• Lessons from Winter Storm Uri and disability-focused disaster research
• How alerting authorities can improve messaging today
• Planning with communities, not for them

Vance also discusses cultural change in emergency management, accessible technology innovation, and the responsibility of alerting authorities to reduce human suffering and loss of life.

Whether you're an emergency manager, alerting authority, public safety leader, researcher, or disability advocate, this episode delivers actionable insights on whole community disaster preparedness.

This episode is proudly sponsored by HQE Systems: supporting data-driven solutions.

When severe winter weather hit Arkansas, only one county issued multiple Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). Was it over-alerting or a powerful example of proactive leadership?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola break down a real-world case study from Calhoun County, Arkansas, where Judge Floyd Nutt sent a series of WEA messages ahead of and during a winter storm. From freezing rain and icy roads to water shortages and access to medical supplies, the messages created a narrative of preparedness, impact communication, and community reassurance.

The hosts explore:

• When should you send a Wireless Emergency Alert for winter weather?
• What constitutes over-alerting vs. effective risk communication?
• How do WEAs impact vulnerable populations, including those with access and functional needs?
• Lessons from Winter Storms and the importance of inclusive alerting
• Message timing, structure (90 vs. 360 characters), and trust-building strategies
• Using IPAWS effectively in rural vs. urban communities

This episode is a must-listen for emergency managers, public safety officials, alert originators, and risk communication professionals looking to improve warning strategy and community engagement.

Subscribe, follow, and join the conversation as we work to make alerting better, and communities safer.

This episode is sponsored by HQEsystems.com.

Also be sure to check out Disabled Power by Angela Frederick at this link: https://nyupress.org/9781479828142/disabled-power/