Patent ID: 8037151

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a first emergency alert message; analyzing, via a processor, the received first emergency alert message for determining at least one characteristic of an emergency indicated therein; determining if the received first emergency alert message comprises free form text that deviates from a format of a predetermined emergency alert message associated with the at least one characteristic; if the received first emergency alert message does not comprise free form text, selecting a predetermined emergency alert message from a plurality of predetermined emergency alert messages in accordance with at least one of the at least one determined characteristic, and providing a second emergency alert message comprising the selected predetermined emergency alert message; if the received first emergency alert message comprises free form text, determining if an originator of the first emergency alert message is an authorized originator authorized to deviate from the format of the predetermined emergency alert message; if the received first emergency alert message comprises free form text and the originator of the first emergency alert message is an authorized originator, generating a second emergency alert message comprising the free form text; and if the received first emergency alert message comprises free form text and the originator of the first emergency alert message is not an authorized originator, selecting the predetermined emergency alert message from the plurality of predetermined emergency alert messages in accordance with at least one of the at least one determined characteristic, and providing a second emergency alert message comprising the selected predetermined emergency alert message, wherein the selected predetermined emergency alert message does not contain the free form text.