Local Emergency Alert System on Cable Systems in Mesa, AZ

1
Local Emergency Alert System on Cable Systems in
Mesa, AZ

• Cory Gherkins
• Mesa, AZ Broadband Development
• Presented for eNATOA
• October 10, 2006

2
Overview

• Federal Emergency Alert System
• Why communities may need a local alert system
• How Mesa negotiated and implemented the system
• Summary
• National considerations

3
National Emergency Alert System (EAS)

• Required in all cable systems
• Required to provide Emergency Action Notification
  messages and regular tests
• State, local, and weather messages are optional
  under Federal law
• Transmission can be required in cable franchise
  agreement

4
How a locality activates National EAS

• Activation protocol depends on state and local
  emergency plans
• Direct activation by large cities, counties, and
  state authorities
• Medium and small cities and counties may not be
  able to activate without going through area
  emergency authority (such as County)
• Local alert can supplement EAS for local
  emergencies

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Local alert system

• Local Override
• All localized hazards and emergencies
• Toxic waste, Columbine, road closure, flash
  flood, microburst
• Alert to all residents on the cable system by
  emergency officials of franchising authority
• Video, audio and/or text crawl
• Analog and digital channels
• Can point viewers to access channel for details
• Complement to EAS for local emergencies
• Ideally system is integrated with device used for
  EAS
• Can prevent collision between alerts, give
  priority to EAS

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Local alert can reach all channels
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How Mesa negotiated local alert

• Cable operator out of compliance
• Provision for EAS on all channels
• Provision not met for digital channels
• New agreement negotiated
• Cox to work with City to develop technical
  solution
• Carriage of local alert on analog and digital
  channels
• Effort to limit alert to City boundaries
• Cox worked with manufacturer and City to plan and
  deploy solution
• System worked
• Minor technical issues (sound, duration of alert,
  carriage on HDTV and DVR)
• Cox solved most remaining issues

8
How Mesa implemented local alert

• Second cable operator (Cable America)
• Agreed to same functional system and
  implementation plan
• Technical implementation different depending on
  cable companys equipment
• CableAmerica Motorola equipment ? full
  screen override
• CoxScientific Atlanta ? text crawl

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Operation of local override

• Emergency official telephones system (local
  encoder)
• Official enters code for identification
• Local encoder generates EAS format message for
  existing EAS system
• Detailed information given on access channel or
  municipal Web site
• Address by officials
• Maps, video of incident, instructions to public
• Integrated with emergency operations center

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Implementation in Cox System
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Mesa Channel 11 Override

• City advises viewers of all analog and digital
  video stations on cable system to tune to Channel
  11 via text crawl or full screen message
• City emergency and programming staff can program
  Channel 11 content immediately via remote dial-in
  and remote e-mail
• City programs Channel 11 with emergency audio
  message and video text screens
• City design uses off-the-shelf PC and Macintosh
  hardware and software and dial-up telephone line

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Mesa Channel 11 Override
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Local Override Recommendations

• Consult with local emergency staff regarding need
• Assess if EAS is sufficient for your community
• Verify that local override is operational in
  existing system
• Analog and digital channels
• Consider less-obtrusive text crawl
• Develop plan to program access channel
• Continue periodic testing by emergency officials

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Periodic Testing of Local Alert

• Requires testing, like any other critical
  emergency system, ideally as part of emergency
  exercises or operations
• Verify continuing functioning of system may be
  affected by equipment upgrades, rewiring at cable
  headend
• Verify no conflicts with Federal EAS
• View alert on all analog channels and selected
  digital channels
• Review Federal EAS test logs periodically

15
Test of L-EAS at Cox MTC
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Nationwide considerations

• FCC issued an NPRM (EB Docket No. 04-296) seeking
  comments on EAS
• NATOA and the City of Mesa filed comments
  (10/29/04)
• FCC and Federal Homeland Security staff had ex
  parte meeting with representatives of NCTA and
  NATOA on 08/02/05
• FCC exploring Mesa system as potential role model
  for emergency alert