Vendor Paywalls Block Emergency Alerts

FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System often requires local governments to purchase third‑party software costing tens of thousands of dollars. Cash‑strapped or understaffed jurisdictions then fail to gain access or training, so evacuation orders are not sent or arrive too late during fires, floods, and hurricanes. A federal life‑safety tool is effectively gated by local procurement and capacity. — It shows how privatized, decentralized infrastructure creates unequal protection and fatal delays, implying the need for federal provisioning, mandates, or subsidies for alert capability.