- Category: Space Y News
- 2025-09-15
In case of emergencies, civil protection agencies need to be able to alert the population promptly.
Within the EU-funded AWARE project, FDC is developing a system using the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) to enable civil protection agencies to deliver timely alerts to the population via connected devices placed in public spaces.
The service capitalises on urban assets, like digital panels and sirens, to promptly alert people in geographic areas affected by a disaster or an emergency and to provide them with information, instructions and updates.
Dissemination and communication and key for effective early warning in case of emergencies
Early warning systems provide timely alerts for emergencies and natural hazards, like fires, floods, cyclones, and terrorist attacks, helping to save lives, reduce damage, and protect the infrastructure.
They are essential for building resilience as climate risks grow. However, challenges such as limited funding, weak institutions, data gaps, and communication barriers hinder their effectiveness.
Dissemination and communication are key elements of early warning systems. Indeed, being able to timely communicate with the population in affected areas via appropriate channels (e.g. TV, radio, internet, satellite, mobile services, sirens, screens, and billboards) is essential for civil protection authorities to limit damage.
The Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS)
When fully operational, in the event of threatening hazards the Galileo Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) will send alert messages to the population directly on mobile phones and compatible devices, thanks to Galileo’s medium-earth-orbit satellites.
In case of emergency, national civil protection authorities will be able to send a request to use Galileo’s satellites to broadcast alerts to the population as audio, video, and text messages via the connected devices within an affected area.
To enable the full exploitation of the EWSS, the EC has searched for ways to enhance the uptake of the service, such as devices that can be used to transmit messages to the public both indoor and outdoor.
The AWARE module
Within the EU-funded AWARE project, FDC, a company based in France with over 33 years of expertise in satellite-based services, is developing a module for the reception and processing of the EWSS messages. The module can be integrated in indoor and outdoor connected devices, including display panels, speakers and long-range acoustic devices placed in public spaces.
Through these devices, national civil protection authorities will be able to alert the population and to send instructions and updates, hence limiting damage to both people and assets. To verify its effectiveness, the solution is being tested in different European countries and disaster scenarios, including floods, urban emergencies and industrial catastrophes.
The consortium, led by Telespazio, includes FDC, the European Emergency Number Association (EENA), the Slovenia Civil Protection Authority, JCDecaux, Genasys, CNES, and the University of Strasbourg – SERTIT.
Real-time alerts to the population limit damage and improve crisis management
The AWARE module delivers timely, accurate warnings before and during looming threats, helping to reduce public risk. The tests carried out so far with national civil protection authorities proved that the alert message can be transmitted and received by all devices located in the area affected by a disaster or emergency in less than one minute.
The module developed by FDC with the AWARE project partners can be integrated into various fixed devices to make sure that alerts reach people both indoors and outdoors across affected areas. Moreover, it enables reliable dissemination of critical information even when telecommunication networks are down.
As one of the first projects to use Galileo EWSS transmissions for public alerts, AWARE marks a major innovation in warning systems.
Implementation Timeline
The AWARE project started in November of 2023 and shall last until 2026.
Intended users
- Civil protection authorities
- Government authorities
To know more, visit the AWARE project website at https://euproject-aware.eu/
Interested to attend the demonstrations and see the AWARE module in action? Find out more here.
Visit the FDC website at www.fdc.fr