Communication Expert Contributes to Proposed Federal Legislation

Following recent public warning failures during the California wildfires and Texas floods, CU Denver's Hamilton Bean, Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication, assisted with the development of the Resilient Emergency Alert Communications and Training (REACT) Act.

Sponsored by Representative Kevin Mullin (CA-15) the REACT Act would:

• Direct FEMA to offer technical assistance to state, local, and Tribal governments to improve alerting authorities' capacity, governance, and effectiveness during emergencies.
• Support the development of evidence-based alert message templates and public education campaigns that explain how alerts work and how individuals should respond.
• Require FEMA to publish an annual report that tracks community-based exercises, training, testing, public participation, and system performance across alerting authorities.
• Authorize $30 million annually through 2035 to support field training, live testing, and community-based exercises of alert systems.

Emergency alerts save lives. But recent wildfires in California and floods in Texas and have highlighted yet again how alert failures can turn deadly.

While many local governments issue warnings through FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and other third-party tools, they often lack the training and resources to ensure those messages are effective when it matters most. Too often, alerts are delayed, unclear, or never sent, which leads to devastating consequences. Local officials may not know who is authorized to send an alert or how to craft an effective message. The public, in turn, may not understand how to interpret alerts or know whether to trust them.

Hamilton Bean, who joined CU Denver in 2009, studies the design, delivery, and effectiveness of mobile public alert and warnings, particularly Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs), and their role within broader emergency communication systems. His research has shown that short, confusing, or fear-inducing messages can undermine public response, while more complete alerts can reduce hesitation and prompt faster protective action. He has led efforts to improve WEA design and advised agencies including FEMA, DHS, NOAA, and the FCC. Conceptually, Bean and colleagues have developed a definition and model of "public warning failure," providing a resource for evaluation and accountability. His cross-national studies highlight the tension between local adaptation and global standardization of public warning theory and practice. Across his scholarship, Bean aims to make public warning systems more reliable, effective, and equitable.