The Alerting Authority

This episode of The Alerting Authority is proudly sponsored by Everbridge, a global leader in critical event management and emergency communication technology. Everbridge helps organizations keep people safe, informed, and connected when it matters most. Learn more at www.everbridge.com.

What can Walt Disney World teach us about emergency alerts, public safety, and the future of emergency communication? More than you might think!

In this special episode of The Alerting Authority,  host Eddie Bertola takes listeners on a unique journey through Walt Disney World, connecting the magic of Disney's themed l...

Historic flooding in Colorado and Arizona is putting emergency alert systems, evacuation procedures, and public safety communication to the test. Are communities doing enough to reach people before disaster strikes?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, host Eddie Bertola examines emergency warnings and evacuation communications surrounding major flooding in Colorado and Arizona, including responses in Pagosa Springs, Archuleta County, and Sedona.

Through real-world emergency alert examples, Eddie explores what agencies are doing well, where communication gaps can emerge, and why reaching residents and visitors requires more than a single warning system.

This episode is sponsored by Nextdoor

What if your next emergency alert could reach thousands of residents who aren't following your agency on social media or signed up for traditional emergency notifications?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola welcome Joseph Porcelli of Nextdoor to explore how neighborhood-based communication is changing the way public safety agencies connect with their communities.

With approximately one in three U.S. households on Nextdoor, according to figures discussed in the episode, the platform offers emergency managers an opportunity to reach...

What happens when an emergency alert takes too long to reach the people who need it most?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, host Eddie Bertola joins us from Seattle, Washington, where he and Dr. Jeannette Sutton are working with city leadership to examine emergency alert policies, improve warning messages, and strengthen public safety communication.

Following a tragic shooting at the Bite of Seattle, city officials have taken steps to evaluate how critical warnings are created, approved, and delivered.

But improving emergency alerts isn't simply about buying better technology. It's...

What happens when an emergency alert goes to the wrong people—or never reaches the people who need it most?

On this episode of The Alerting Authority, host Eddie Bertola welcomes William (Will) Chapman, Oregon's Statewide Interoperability and Watch Center Manager, for an in-depth conversation about emergency communications, lessons learned from major disasters, and building a more reliable statewide alert and warning system.

Drawing on his experience in 911 communications, law enforcement, fire, EMS, and emergency management, Will shares how Oregon has transformed its alerting capabilities following the COVID-19 pandemic and the de...

What makes an emergency alert actually work — and what happens when critical information is left out?

On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola welcome back Dr. Hugh Walpole for Part 2 of their conversation about risk perception, warning messages, and the science behind how people respond during emergencies.

The conversation explores groundbreaking new research examining the individual pieces of an emergency warning message and what happens when one of those pieces is removed.

The research tested six major warning-message components: source, hazard, hazard impact, location, time, and protective-action guidance.

Emergency alerts are supposed to help people make fast, potentially life-saving decisions. But what happens when the alert itself is vague, incomplete, or confusing?

In this Alerting Authority Reality Check, Eddie Bertola tackles one of the most basic — and most overlooked — parts of an effective emergency warning program: TEMPLATES.

Too many agencies are still trying to write critical messages from scratch while an emergency is unfolding. Eddie explains why that needs to change and how well-designed, pre-approved templates can help alerting authorities communicate faster, more clearly, and more consistently when every second counts.

In t...

Why do people make the wrong decision during an emergency — even when they understand the warning?

On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by disaster scholar Dr. DeeDee Bennett Gayle to explore groundbreaking research using virtual reality to study how older adults respond to emergency warnings in real time.

Instead of simply asking people what they think they would do during a disaster, researchers placed participants inside virtual emergency scenarios involving a hurricane and a chemical spill — allowing them to observe how people actually seek information, interpret warnings, and...

What happens after a devastating weather disaster — and who makes sure we actually learn from it?

On this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by Jennifer Sprague Hilderbrand and Doug Hilderbrand, co-founders of the American Weather Enterprise Association (AWEA), for a conversation about the future of weather safety, emergency communication, and national policy.

They discuss the idea behind a National Weather Safety Board, the importance of studying major disasters to identify what worked and what failed, the future of America's weather infrastructure, and why sustained advocacy matters for emergency ma...

In this Alerting Authority Reality Check, Eddie Bertola tackles a controversial question: Should AMBER Alerts really be sent statewide?

Wireless Emergency Alerts were designed with geotargeting capabilities, yet many jurisdictions continue sending AMBER Alerts across an entire state—even when an abduction occurs near a state border or available information points toward a much smaller geographic area. Eddie examines examples from Oregon, Washington, Texas and Florida and explains why he believes this approach needs to change.

The concern isn't whether every effort should be made to recover an abducted child. It's whether sending alerts to pe...

How do we actually know whether an emergency alert works?

In Part 1 of this special two-part episode of The Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola are joined by research scientist Dr. Hugh Walpole for a deep dive into the science behind emergency warning research.

Hugh breaks down qualitative vs. quantitative research, experiments, representative sampling, risk perception, and how researchers determine whether changes to an emergency message actually make a difference.

But the conversation leads to an even bigger question: Should the success of an emergency alert really be measured by whether...

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. 

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...

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 e...

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 importa...

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...

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...

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...

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 tor...

Who is Eddie Bertola?

In this special episode of The Alerting Authority Podcast, Dr. Jeannette Sutton turns the tables and interviews co-host Eddie Bertola, one of the nation's leading experts on emergency alerts, AMBER Alerts, crisis communication, and public warning systems.

Discover the personal story behind the public safety leader as Eddie shares how growing up in California led him into law enforcement, his career with the California Highway Patrol, and how he helped modernize emergency alerting technology across the United States.

Along the way, you'll also learn why he's passionate about Disney...

How do emergency managers make sure the right people get the right message at the right time? In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Martin Ritchey, Director of Homeland Security at the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG), to discuss emergency notification systems, IPAWS, Everbridge, warning fatigue, emergency preparedness, flash flood response, and lessons learned from major disasters across Texas.

Martin shares how CAPCOG built one of the most successful regional alerting programs in the country through WarnCentralTexas.org, achieving exceptional community participation and improving emergency communication capabilities across...

What is it really like to walk across England?

In this special episode of Alerting Authority, Dr. Jeannette Sutton shares the incredible story of hiking 210 miles across England on the legendary Alfred Wainwright Coast to Coast Trail. Over 15 days, she and her husband crossed three national parks, visited charming English villages, climbed rugged mountains, navigated changing weather, and completed one of the world's most iconic long-distance hiking routes.

Along the way, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola discuss:

Who is Dr. Jeannette Sutton, and how did she become one of the most influential voices in emergency alerting and warning research?

In this special episode of The Alerting Authority, co-host Eddie Bertola turns the tables and interviews Dr. Jeannette Sutton about her personal journey, professional influences, and vision for the future of emergency communication.

From her early work as a chaplain and victim advocate following the Columbine tragedy to conducting rapid-response research after 9/11, Dr. Sutton shares the experiences that shaped her career in disaster research, risk communication, and public warning systems. She discusses the...

What makes an emergency alert effective—and what causes public confusion, panic, or frustration? In this episode of The Alerting Authority, emergency communication experts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola analyze some of the most memorable emergency alerts ever sent.

From the infamous Hawaii ballistic missile false alarm to controversial Texas Blue Alerts, poorly written Amber Alerts, wildfire evacuation messages, and successful missing child alerts, they break down what worked, what failed, and what emergency managers can learn from each case.

Discover how message structure, location specificity, timing, jargon, abbreviations, public trust, evacuation warnings, and all-clear no...

What separates good emergency alerts from life-saving emergency alerts?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Thomas Walmsley, Director of Emergency Management for Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and the 2024 IAEM USA Emergency Manager of the Year.

With more than two decades of experience spanning military service, law enforcement, local government, federal programs, and academic research, Tom shares how modern emergency managers can leverage data, AI, and evidence-based messaging to improve warning systems and community resilience.

The conversation explores practical lessons learned from real-world...

Emergency alerts and warnings can save lives—but only when organizations have clear, effective policies guiding their decisions. In this episode of The Alerting Authority podcast, emergency communication experts Dr. Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola discuss why alerting policies are often overlooked, how weak or outdated policies create operational risks, and what agencies can do to strengthen their public warning programs.

Eddie introduces the Alerting Policy Maturity Spectrum, a framework that helps organizations evaluate where they currently stand—from having no policy at all to maintaining a fully integrated, regularly tested, and continuously improved alerting program. The disc...

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Stuart Moffatt, Director of Emergency Management at the University of Utah, to explore the unique challenges of campus emergency communication, public safety planning, and crisis response in higher education.

From football games with 60,000 fans to healthcare operations, research facilities, student housing, and active threat preparedness, Stuart explains how the University of Utah functions like a city within a city — and what it takes to keep that population informed and safe.

The conversation dives into:

In this powerful and deeply informative episode of Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola break down everything you need to know about AMBER Alerts: how they work, why they’re issued, and how effective messaging can mean the difference between life and death.

Eddie Bertola, a veteran law enforcement officer and national subject matter expert, shares firsthand experience from decades of working AMBER Alerts and missing person cases. Together, they unpack the tragic story of Amber Hagerman, the origins of the AMBER Alert system, and the critical role of ti...

What happens when people stop trusting emergency alerts? Do “false alarms” actually make communities less safe—or is the problem more complicated than we think?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with disaster researcher Dr. Joe Trainor (University of Delaware) to break down the science behind false alarms, trust, and human behavior in emergencies.

Drawing on decades of research—from Hurricane Katrina to global disaster response—Dr. Trainor explains how people really interpret alerts, why the “cry wolf” theory is often misunder...

In this powerful episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with emergency communications expert Jen Meyers to explore the evolving world of emergency alerts, FEMA IPAWS, public warning systems, and crisis communication.

With more than 25 years of experience in public safety, Jen shares her journey from 911 dispatcher to supporting over 2,200 alerting authorities nationwide through FEMA IPAWS Technical Support Services. She discusses how her experience during the September 11 Pentagon attack shaped her perspective on emergency communication, preparedness, interoperability, and public trust.

This episode dives deep into:

-FEMA IPAWS...

This episode is a rewind from our very first premiere of The Alerting Authority.

In this debut conversation, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate for a candid, no-nonsense look at the real challenges facing emergency alerting in the United States.

Fugate explains why most alerting failures aren’t caused by technology—but by people. He emphasizes the need for emergency managers to be trained, confident, and ready to issue immediate warnings when every second counts. The discussion explores the critical differences between notifications, alerts, and true warnings, the...

How do you write a missing persons alert that actually gets the public to respond?

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with Tim Williams, Program Manager of the New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse, to explore how New York is rethinking missing persons messaging, public alerting, and effective communication.

This conversation goes deep into the science behind alert wording, why plain language matters, and how thoughtful messaging can increase public engagement, reduce confusion, and improve outcomes in missing and endangered person cases.

Topics include:

What happens when emergencies involve your pets or animals? In this lively and unfiltered episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Eddie Bertola and Jeannette Sutton bring in their pets—complete with roaming goats, curious cats, and plenty of unexpected moments—to explore the critical role animals play in disasters.

Joined by Dr. Sarah DeYoung, an expert in disaster research and companion animals, the conversation dives into how pets, livestock, and even exotic animals impact evacuation decisions, emergency messaging, and public safety outcomes. From goats knocking over cameras to cats hiding during evacuations, this episode blends humor with powe...

In this episode of The Alerting Authority, hosts Jeannette Sutton and Eddie Bertola sit down with veteran alerting leader Carri Gordon to break down the evolution, effectiveness, and future of missing persons alerts.

With nearly 35 years of experience in emergency communications and public safety, Carri shares her journey from early dispatch operations—long before modern alerting systems—to leading statewide alert programs and now serving as a national subject matter expert on the Ashanti Alert initiative.

This episode dives deep into:

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:

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 se...

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:

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...

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...

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...