FR-Alert: A European reference for public alerting
The context
Since the implementation of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) Article 110 in June 2022, EU countries have been mandated to deploy public warning systems capable of sending geo-targeted emergency alerts to mobile users in affected areas.
In response, France has taken significant strides by deploying FR-Alert, a state-of-the-art public warning system developed by Intersec. This system, chosen by the French Ministry of the Interior in collaboration with major national mobile operators, was designed to ensure that public safety is upheld through efficient and reliable emergency communications.
The challenges
Territorial and cultural complexity
Metropolitan France and its overseas territories have more than 67 million inhabitants and nearly 90 million international tourists each year. These regions exhibit significant geographical, cultural, and technological disparities, which pose associated risks that needed to be considered and managed.
Insufficient risk consciousness
Beyond prevention, the French public authorities faced the critical challenge of educating and raising awareness about these risks. This was particularly important because one in four inhabitants and one in three jobs are exposed to natural risks. Additionally, more than half of the French population affected by natural risks were not informed about them. Incidents like “Erika,” “AZF,” “Lubrizol,” “Katrina,” and “Irma” had already left their mark on the collective unconscious, gradually enhancing knowledge and procedures.
The solution
A major technological breakthrough
In response to European regulations, the French government sought to exceed EU standards by leveraging cutting-edge communication technologies. They implemented FR-Alert, a system combining Location-Based SMS (LB-SMS) and Cell Broadcast (CB) to ensure 95% coverage across France, including over 80 million mobile devices. This dual approach allows for more effective crisis management and enhanced public safety.
FR-Alert also equips authorities with advanced tools like real-time population heatmaps and retargeting capabilities for follow-up alerts. These features enable better resource allocation and strategic responses, significantly improving France’s crisis management and long-term resilience.
A truly multi-channel system
In preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games and in response to rising climate and geopolitical risks, the French government needed a comprehensive alert system. FR-Alert, supported by Intersec, was developed to go beyond simple mobile notifications. It’s based on the Ministry of Interior's "Multichannel Alert Portal," which unifies various communication channels.
This portal integrates 2,200 outdoor warning sirens from the Population Alert and Information System (SAIP), social media, dedicated alert websites, and allows citizens to register specific locations for targeted alerts via SMS or email. With future enhancements like the integration of the Galileo satellite system, FR-Alert maximizes the efficiency of public warnings, ensuring critical information reaches people through multiple channels in any situation.
Joint efforts in cultivating a risk-aware culture
Raising citizens' awareness beforehand was deemed essential to prevent them from discovering alert procedures only during a disaster, without knowing the appropriate behavior to adopt. Efforts to adapt messages to the context, design clear communication for all, evaluate the perception of different warning messages, propose drills for the population, collect testimonies from residents, and clarify the regulatory framework were all carried out collaboratively by public and private contributors to the project.
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We were attracted by the completeness of the Intersec solution, by its experience in delivering messages on a very large scale depending on the real-time location of recipients, and by the willingness of its teams to keep this solution at the cutting edge of technology over the years to come.
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