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CHAIN’s Common Alert Protocol (CAP) API provides a simple and standardized format for securely initiating alerts and warnings over IP-based networks using the nationally accepted CAP standard.  CAP is a general XML format for exchanging all-hazard emergency alerts and public warnings over multiple networks.

The CAP interface provides a means by which an alert can be generated by an external system and passed on to CHAIN through a secure system-to-system login and submission process to initiate a business rule driven alert to a pre-defined group. As such, it extends the ability of CHAIN to connect and exchange data with any device, sensor, and system (911 Computer Aided Dispatch systems, Marine NOC Alarms, Knowledge Management Platform, Weather information systems, etc). Consequently, this capability enables these systems to communicate with each other without human intervention, in effect, automating the alert creation process.

Benefits of the CAP Interface include:

• Easily predefine alert templates that include core alert information and targeted recipients
• Generate "auto-alerts" without human intervention or to route to appropriate authorities for review
• Compatible with existing network-based communications systems
• Compatible with industry standard X.509 authentication
• Deliver alerts using a brad range of communications and devices including email, voice, fax, pagers and SMS text messaging
• Ability to deliver critical alert information to specific organizations, groups, or individuals in geographically dispersed locations in real-time