An industrial process control system comprising: a controller (26, 27) configured to couple to a field device (38, 40, 42, 44), wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to receive alert information for the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) via a first protocol; and an alert server configured to couple to the controller (26, 27), wherein the alert server is configured to receive the alert information from the controller (26, 27) via a second protocol, wherein the controller (26, 27) comprises a first process for providing an interface with the field device (38, 40, 42, 44), wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to detect, via the first protocol, removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44), to remove alert information relating to the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) from an alarm data manager and to communicate, in the second protocol, the removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) to the alert server, wherein the alert server is configured to communicate the removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) to an alarm viewer, a redundant controller (26, 27), or a combination thereof, the system further comprising a live list that lists all the field devices currently attached to the industrial process control system, wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to query the live list to detect the removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44), and wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to collect alert information from the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) upon reattachment of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) to the industrial process control system and the controller (26, 27) is configured to distribute the alert information to the alert server. a controller (26, 27) configured to couple to a field device (38, 40, 42, 44), wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to receive alert information for the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) via a first protocol; and an alert server configured to couple to the controller (26, 27), wherein the alert server is configured to receive the alert information from the controller (26, 27) via a second protocol, wherein the controller (26, 27) comprises a first process for providing an interface with the field device (38, 40, 42, 44), wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to detect, via the first protocol, removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44), to remove alert information relating to the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) from an alarm data manager and to communicate, in the second protocol, the removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) to the alert server, wherein the alert server is configured to communicate the removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) to an alarm viewer, a redundant controller (26, 27), or a combination thereof, the system further comprising a live list that lists all the field devices currently attached to the industrial process control system, wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to query the live list to detect the removal of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44), and wherein the controller (26, 27) is configured to collect alert information from the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) upon reattachment of the field device (38, 40, 42, 44) to the industrial process control system and the controller (26, 27) is configured to distribute the alert information to the alert server.