Everbridge, the global leader in critical event management and national public warning software solutions has collaborated with University College London (UCL) to develop a report entitled: ‘From Policy to Practice – Case studies in resilience and public warning’.  The report unites academic rigour and industry leadership to offer organisations the strategies they need to build resilience and develop public warning systems. It focuses on three key territories, the United States, Europe, and Japan and brings together multiple layers of information to build a clear vision around early warning systems, against the backdrop of fragmented regulatory frameworks.

The report answers the need for resilience building as countries face critical emergencies. Resilience is also an expressed government goal for countries, and an essential part of the UN-led Sendai Framework. Robust policies, effective early warning systems, and well-coordinated emergency response plans, contribute to the reduction in loss of human lives, economic costs, and adverse impacts.  However, governments often define resilience differently, as this report demonstrates, and this means that differing approaches are taken to promoting resilience and creating benchmarks for success.

The Everbridge/UCL report provides a comprehensive background on regulatory frameworks, disaster risk recovery (DRR) strategies, and public and early warning systems (EWS) in the three countries. The aim is to ensure ongoing effectiveness and adaptability in the face of evolving risks.

Europe, the USA and Japan were selected because they use advanced public and early warning systems and DRR practices. In Japan, a robust early warning system is based on satellite broadcast. The US uses a comprehensive cell broadcasting system emulated by other national governments around the world including EU Member States, which are now required to operate a public warning system under EU law. The EU’s cross-border alert system aims to integrate emergency warnings across all 27 Member States.

Lorenzo Marchetti, Public Affairs Manager at Everbridge, and curator of the report, said: “Readers will find five key takeaway points to consider for enhancing resilience and warning systems, highlighting the value that can be achieved when bringing together public-private partnerships with government and academic research. This is essential reading for anybody that is considering the tools they need to start building resilience for our uncertain future.”