HazCollect: For Government

• Step 1: Is your organization eligible?
• Step 2: Has a DM COG been established for your organization?
• Step 3: Complete the training
• Step 4: Request Access to HazCollect from the National Weather Service
• Step 5: Configure your software application
• Step 6: Ensure appropriate individuals receive training

The following steps represent the process that warning authorities use to access the HazCollect system.

Step 1: Is your organization eligible?

State, regional, and local warning authority may be determined based upon government jurisdiction plans and statutory authorities.  Related plans include:

• Emergency Alert System (EAS) Plan (State/Local Emergency Communications Committee)
• Amber Alert Plan (State Amber Alert Committee/Law Enforcement Agency)
• Emergency Operations Plan, Warning Annex (State/Local Emergency Management Agency)

Typically, the authority for warning is assigned to the jurisdiction's chief operating officer, and delegated to subordinates. Your jurisdiction should have a clear, written policy as to who may exercise warning authority, to ensure that warning coverage is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Step 2: Has an IPAWS OPEN 2.0 COG been established for your organization?

• Capability to exchange standards-compliant messages and content between COGs
• Access to the National Weather Service (NWS) All-Hazards Emergency Message Collection System (HazCollect) for NWS-approved alerting authorities

• Go to the FEMA IPAWS web page and follow steps under the "How do I sign up to participate in IPAWS?" heading at http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/alerting_authorities.shtm.
• Even those emergency management agencies (EMA) or public warning authorities that already have functioning COGs with the original DM-OPEN and HazCollect must obtain sign a FEMA MOA and get a new COG ID.
• If the EMA is already approved for HazCollect, FEMA will coordinate the EMA's new COG ID with NWS, but to ensure NWS receives the information, you may email your new IPAWS-OPEN COG ID along with your agency and contact information to NWS.HRGAdmin@noaa.gov.

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Step 3: Complete the training

Completion of training in HazCollect Principles and Non-weather Emergency Messages Best Practices is a pre-requisite for access to the HazCollect system.  The training is self-paced and is estimated to take two to three hours to complete. 

See HazCollect Training for further information.

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Step 4: Request Access to HazCollect from the National Weather Service

Once you have completed Steps 1-3 above, you will be ready to apply for access to HazCollect.  Go to the HazCollect registration page.  

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Step 5: Configure your software application

You will be notified via email when your application for HazCollect access has been approved.

Your system administrator will need to configure accounts and NWEM posting permissions per the jurisdiction's warning policy (see Step 1) using instructions from your alert authoring tool software vendor. In addition, if your authoring tool provides the capability, you should pre-populate hazard specific warning templates that comply with warning best practices and technical requirements.

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Step 6: Ensure appropriate individuals receive training

It will be the responsibility of the requesting jurisdiction to ensure that system operators receive the training required in Step 3 above, and how to use NWEM authoring software. It is highly recommended that your jurisdiction collaborate with the appropriate NWS Weather Forecast Office's Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) for implementation. (Consult the NWS WCM Local Contact page as needed.) It is also recommended that practice with HazCollect be routinely included in the jurisdiction's emergency response exercises.

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