The Alerting Authority

Eddie Bertola and Jeannette Sutton
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Society & Culture

The Alerting Authority is a podcast dedicated to improving how we warn the public when seconds matter. Hosted by Jeanette Sutton, a leading researcher in public alerts and warnings, and Eddie Bertola, an expert in emergency communications technology, the show brings together practitioners, policymakers, technologists, and thought leaders shaping the future of public alerting. Each episode dives deep into real-world challenges behind creating, issuing, and delivering life-saving alerts. From Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to IPAWS implementation, crisis messaging, public behavior, and alerting policy, the hosts explore what works, what fails, and why. Rather than focusing solely on tools or software, The Alerting Authority examines the “human side” of emergency communication—decision-making under pressure, message design, training gaps, coordination across agencies, and the psychology of how people interpret warnings. The podcast aims to empower emergency managers, communicators, and public safety professionals with actionable insights, practical guidance, and candid conversations with the people who have shaped, studied, and experienced alerting at every level. Whether you’re responsible for issuing alerts, designing systems, researching risk communication, or simply interested in how warnings save lives, The Alerting Authority is your go-to source for understanding and improving public alerting in a complex and rapidly evolving world.

  1. 1d ago

    Earthquake Warning: The Seconds That Could Save Your Life

    Earthquakes can strike without warning—but new technology can give you precious seconds to react. In this episode archived of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola break down USGS ShakeAlert, earthquake early warnings, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and the technology that can warn people before strong shaking arrives. They also examine false earthquake alerts and why fast follow-up communication is critical for maintaining public trust.   The episode also revisits the Hawaii false missile alert and research showing why people need corrective information through the same channels that delivered the original warning.

  2. Sep 3

    AI Is Changing Emergency Alerts — Are We Ready? | Dr. Jessica Jensen

    Artificial intelligence is already changing emergency management — but are we ready to trust it with alerts and warnings? On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola welcome Dr. Jessica Jensen, Senior Policy Researcher at RAND and a national expert in emergency management policy, practice, and research. Dr. Jensen joins the podcast to discuss the newly released AIDE report — AI for Disasters and Emergencies — and what its findings mean for emergency managers, public warning professionals, and organizations exploring the use of artificial intelligence during disasters. The conversation explores where AI can help, where significant questions remain, and why emergency management cannot simply adopt AI tools without understanding how they perform against established research and warning-message standards. One of the biggest takeaways: AI should support emergency management professionals — not replace their expertise. Jeannette and Eddie also discuss the importance of benchmarking AI-generated alerts and warnings, keeping a human in the loop, and ensuring that messages continue to follow evidence-based principles for effective risk and crisis communication. In this episode: • What the AIDE (AI for Disasters and Emergencies) report found • How AI could change emergency management • Using AI to write emergency alerts and warnings • Why benchmarking AI systems matters • The importance of the human in the loop • Risks of relying too heavily on AI-generated messaging • The need for standards and independent evaluation of AI tools • What emergency managers should understand before adopting AI • Where additional research is still needed The Alerting Authority helps organizations strengthen their warning and emergency communication programs through training, message audits, policy assistance, message design, exercises, and real-world guidance. Because “we’ll figure it out when something happens” is not an emergency communication strategy. Subscribe to The Alerting Authority for conversations with researchers, emergency managers, warning experts, and practitioners working to make alerts and warnings more effective. #EmergencyManagement #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #EmergencyAlerts #PublicWarning #CrisisCommunication #DisasterResponse #RiskCommunication #EmergencyCommunications #AIDE

  3. Aug 27

    Wildfire Evacuations: Why Your Emergency Plan Might FAIL

    Wildfire evacuations can turn chaotic in minutes. So how do emergency managers know when to issue an evacuation order, who should leave first, and whether the roads can actually handle everyone trying to escape? In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by Tom Cova, professor at the University of Utah and expert in wildfire evacuation analysis, emergency management, and geographic information science.  Tom breaks down the science behind evacuation modeling and explains why real-world human behavior can completely change an evacuation timeline. The conversation explores traffic bottlenecks, evacuation zones, phased evacuations, warning messages, vulnerable populations, wildfire behavior, and how emergency managers can build more realistic evacuation plans. One of the biggest takeaways: evacuating everyone simultaneously isn't always the safest strategy. Research and real-world experience show that phased evacuations can reduce risk by allowing those closest to the danger to leave before roads become gridlocked.  The discussion also examines the future of emergency evacuation technology—including live evacuation information, smarter routing, mobile alerts, AI-assisted decision support, and systems that could help emergency managers determine when it's time to issue a warning.  Topics include: wildfire evacuation modeling, evacuation alerts and warnings, traffic and evacuation routes, phased evacuations, evacuation zones, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), emergency management planning, vulnerable populations, human behavior during disasters, AI in emergency management, and wildfire preparedness. Subscribe to The Alerting Authority for conversations about emergency alerts, warnings, crisis communication, IPAWS, WEA, and the future of public safety messaging.

  4. Aug 20

    CAPCOG 2026 Recap: The Biggest Alerting & Warning Lessons from Texas

    What happens when emergency managers, public safety leaders, universities, public health officials, law enforcement, and alerting authorities from across Texas come together for two days of intensive training? In this episode of  The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola break down their experience at CAPCOG 2026, where they trained professionals from across Texas on emergency communications, alerting policies, message design, public warning research, and real-world emergency scenarios. Topics include: ✅ Why "we'll figure it out when something happens" is not an emergency communication strategy ✅ Building alerting policies that work under pressure ✅ The importance of emergency authorization and reducing notification delays ✅ Cross-jurisdictional coordination and mutual aid agreements ✅ Message design based on scientific research ✅ The Warning Lexicon, Post-Alert Lexicon, and Message Design Dashboard ✅ Active shooter communication strategies ✅ Writing effective all-clear messages ✅ Supporting access and functional needs populations ✅ Practical exercises that improved confidence and reduced fear among alerting professionals The discussion highlights how training, preparation, and evidence-based practices help communities communicate more effectively during emergencies. Participants worked through real-world scenarios ranging from severe weather to active threats while learning how to craft clear, actionable warning messages. Whether you're an emergency manager, public safety professional, dispatcher, university official, or anyone responsible for crisis communications, this episode offers valuable lessons that can improve your alerting program. To learn more about what was discussed and what you can do to better understand alerting checkout TheWarnRoom.com and TheAlertingAuthority.com #AlertingAuthority #EmergencyManagement #PublicSafety #EmergencyAlerts #CAPCOG #WirelessEmergencyAlerts #EmergencyCommunications #CrisisCommunication #AlertWarning #EmergencyPreparedness

  5. Aug 13

    Crisis Communication, AI, and Public Trust: What Alerting Authorities Can Learn from Dr. Tim Coombs

    What happens when emergency alerts fail, misinformation spreads, or organizations lose public trust during a crisis? In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Dr. W. Timothy Coombs, one of the most cited crisis communication scholars in the world and creator of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). The conversation explores the relationship between crisis communication, disasters, alerts, warnings, and organizational accountability. Dr. Coombs explains how effective communication brings crisis management plans to life and why instructing and adjusting information are critical to protecting the public. Using real-world examples including the Hawaii false missile alert, the Paradise Fire, and the Los Angeles wildfire alert failures, the discussion examines what organizations can learn when communication systems break down. The episode also tackles one of the biggest emerging challenges in emergency management: artificial intelligence. Dr. Coombs shares his perspective on AI-generated messaging, the risks of overreliance on automation, the importance of maintaining communication skills, and why meaningful human involvement remains essential in crisis communication. Topics include:  Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)  Accountability and public trust during crises  Lessons from the Hawaii false missile alert  Paradise Fire communication challenges  Los Angeles wildfire alert failures  Over-alerting and public response  Crisis communication training and preparedness  AI in emergency messaging and public warning  Human-in-the-loop communication systems  Research, peer review, and the future of crisis communication Whether you're an emergency manager, public information officer, alerting practitioner, researcher, or communicator, this episode offers valuable insights into how organizations can communicate more effectively when the stakes are highest.

  6. Aug 6

    Wireless Emergency Alerts Explained with Rob Dale

    What emergency managers see when they send an alert isn't always what the public receives. In this episode of Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton, Eddie Bertola, and special guest Rob Dale explore how Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) appear on different devices and why those differences matter. The discussion dives into PBS Warn, message design, alert effectiveness, and common mistakes emergency managers make when creating warning messages. Rob shares insights from reviewing thousands of alerts across the country, highlighting both best practices and recurring issues that can impact public understanding and response. The conversation also examines how WEA has evolved from 90-character messages to today's richer capabilities, including longer messages, links, and future enhancements. Emergency managers, public information officers, and alerting professionals will gain practical guidance for improving warning messages and better reaching their communities. Topics Covered:  Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)  PBS Warn  Emergency alert message design  Public warning best practices  Alerting and warning research  Emergency management communications  Mobile alert differences between Apple and Android  Public safety messaging  IPAWS and WEA evolution  Crisis communication Rob Dale discusses how PBS Warn allows alerting professionals to review and evaluate emergency alerts issued across the country, helping identify strengths and weaknesses in warning messages.  The episode also explores how WEA has evolved from the original 90-character limitation to 360-character alerts with expanded capabilities, improving opportunities for effective public warning. This episode is sponsored by HQE Systems. Visit them at HQEsystems.com

  7. Jul 30

    AI Taking Over? How AI is Changing the World of Alerting

    Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the way emergency managers, public information officers, and alerting authorities communicate with the public. But should we trust AI with emergency alerts and crisis communication? In this special panel discussion, Jeannette Sutton, Eddie Bertola, and Dan Stoneking explore the growing role of AI in emergency management, public warning systems, and crisis communications. Drawing from research, field experience, and communications expertise, they discuss the opportunities, risks, and realities of integrating AI into emergency alerting. Topics include: - Generative AI vs. traditional AI tools - How emergency managers are already using AI - AI-generated emergency alerts and warning messages - Trust, credibility, and human oversight - The future of public information officers - Message design, warning science, and alert effectiveness - Why AI should be viewed as a tool—not a replacement Whether you're an emergency manager, PIO, researcher, dispatcher, or public safety professional, this conversation offers valuable insight into one of the biggest technological shifts facing the alerting community. #EmergencyManagement #AI #CrisisCommunication #PublicSafety #EmergencyAlerts #IPAWS #AlertingAuthority #ArtificialIntelligence #PIO #EmergencyCommunications

  8. Jul 23

    How Better Translations Could Save Lives During Disasters

    In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Dr. Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, a leading researcher in multilingual risk communication and emergency alerts. Joseph shares his journey from immigrating to the United States from Peru to becoming one of the nation's foremost experts on language equity in weather warnings. The discussion explores how emergency messages are translated, why certain warning terms can create confusion, and how artificial intelligence is helping agencies like NOAA and the National Weather Service improve multilingual communication. The conversation covers: • The challenges of translating tornado warnings and weather alerts • Why direct translations often fail during emergencies • AI-powered weather warning translation systems • Language equity in public safety communication • Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and multilingual messaging • How local agencies can better reach diverse communities • The future of emergency communication for the 2028 Olympics and beyond Whether you're an emergency manager, public safety professional, meteorologist, researcher, or simply interested in how technology can help save lives, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of alerting and warning systems. Guest: Dr. Joseph Trujillo-Falcón Topics: AI Translation, NOAA, National Weather Service, Emergency Alerts, Risk Communication, Public Safety, Weather Warnings, Language Equity, Wireless Emergency Alerts, Emergency Management. This episode is sponsored by HQE Systems.  #EmergencyManagement #PublicSafety #RiskCommunication #AITranslation #LanguageAccess

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Alerting Authority is a podcast dedicated to improving how we warn the public when seconds matter. Hosted by Jeanette Sutton, a leading researcher in public alerts and warnings, and Eddie Bertola, an expert in emergency communications technology, the show brings together practitioners, policymakers, technologists, and thought leaders shaping the future of public alerting. Each episode dives deep into real-world challenges behind creating, issuing, and delivering life-saving alerts. From Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to IPAWS implementation, crisis messaging, public behavior, and alerting policy, the hosts explore what works, what fails, and why. Rather than focusing solely on tools or software, The Alerting Authority examines the “human side” of emergency communication—decision-making under pressure, message design, training gaps, coordination across agencies, and the psychology of how people interpret warnings. The podcast aims to empower emergency managers, communicators, and public safety professionals with actionable insights, practical guidance, and candid conversations with the people who have shaped, studied, and experienced alerting at every level. Whether you’re responsible for issuing alerts, designing systems, researching risk communication, or simply interested in how warnings save lives, The Alerting Authority is your go-to source for understanding and improving public alerting in a complex and rapidly evolving world.

Information

  • Creator
    Eddie Bertola and Jeannette Sutton
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Alerting Authority
  • Show Website
    The Alerting Authority