In an attempt to mitigate the spread of various XML codes that have been developed without any standardization between jurisdictions, the Homeland Security Department's Disaster Management e-Government initiative has proposed a standard specific to emergency management and response.

Using the proposed Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL), officials from the Emergency Interoperability Consortium (EIC) contend, will enable alerts and other important information to be shared across geographic regions, regardless of a user's technology and applications. The proposed data standard will help information-sharing programs overcome the hurdles faced with disparate hardware and application configuration.

Matt Walton, chairman of the EIC, said EDXL will help overcome the problem of incompatible existing and proprietary systems by better defining the information being shared and identifying the various personnel and agencies involved.

During a demonstration at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., that was designed to showcase the standard, it was noted that individual XML schemata continue to change. One example being the law enforcement community's Global Justice XML Data Model.

Walton said, "There are many systems out there and we have to live with what we have. We have to make sure that those systems continue to provide the service that they provided in the past, just enhanced, so that they now can perform the functions with other systems."

EDXL is the next generation of the Common Alerting Protocol, which is already used and sanctioned by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards. Walton said the new standard must not only be advanced, but must be carried out quickly for security reasons that affect the nation.