EAS National Test

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EAS National Test

• State and Local Government Webinar
• October 5, 2011
• Public Safety Homeland Security Bureau
• Federal Communications Commission

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FCC EAS Initiatives

• Enhance EAS reliability (National EAS Test)
• Ensure that the American public receives
  emergency alerts wherever they are, and whatever
  technology they use (CAP rulemaking)
• Analyze future Broadband-based alerting
  architectures (Broadband Alerting NOI)

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Enhance EAS Reliability

• The broadcast-based EAS is, and will remain for
  the foreseeable future, the backbone of the
  public alerting system.
• The National system has never been tested
• Commission is seeking to improve present-day EAS
  through National-level Testing

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EAS Architecture
Three levels of authorized alert initiating
officials
Alert message cascades via multiple paths
Mayor, Local EOC, NWS Off-Air Monitoring

PEP Primary Entry Point LP Local Primary
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National Testing of EAS

• Four primary elements
• promulgation of national testing rules and
  procedures
• coordination with our partners,
• pre-test outreach, and
• post-test analysis

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Elements of Test

• Test is scheduled for Thursday, November 9, 2011
  at 200 PM EST
• Test will consist of the delivery by FEMA to
  Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations of a coded EAS
  message
• First test will use the EAS Emergency Action
  Notification (EAN) code
• This is the code that would be used in the event
  of a national emergency
• Radio, television and cable providers will
  monitor the National and State and Local Primary
  sources as required in each states EAS Plan
• The national test will be conducted annually.
• National test shall replace the required weekly
  and monthly tests for the week and month in which
  it occurs.
• The test will last approximately three minutes

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Elements of Test (cont.)

• The Commission and FEMA are collaborating on day
  of procedures
• EAS Participants must provide the Bureau with
  specific test-related diagnostic information with
  45 days of the test.
• Test data will be given confidential treatment.
• Commission is developing a voluntary electronic
  reporting system that will allow EAS Participants
  to file identifying information prior to the
  test, initial response the day of the test, and
  detailed response within the 45 day window
• Regarding enforcement, the Commission will
  balance the overall policy goals of
• Ensuring the reliability of the EAS which
  requires cooperation of EAS Participants and
• Enforcement discretion with regard to EAS rules
  violations uncovered in the course of the first
  national test.
• Future Tests A national test will likely be
  conducted annually

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Technical Issue Regarding Audio and Visual Parity

• In order to accurately test the system, FEMA will
  be using a live test code, the Emergency Action
  Notification (EAN)
• For broadcast, cable and satellite television,
  the audio portion of the test will clearly
  indicate that it is a test.
• However, the text crawl generated by this code
  will be the same as what would be generated in an
  actual alert, and would say something like This
  is an Emergency Action Notification for the
  United States.
• In order to ensure that the test (a) not cause
  public confusion and (b) can be accessible for
  the hearing impaired, we are working with video
  providers to see how they can provide a separate
  visual to indicate that this is a test.
• We understand that broadcast television studios
  can generate text through their Chyrons and have
  been working with NAB to distribute approved
  text.

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Sample Test Slide Copy
THIS IS ONLY A TEST
TEST
THERE IS NO ACTUAL EMERGECY THIS IS A TEST OF THE
EMERGECY ALERT SYSTEM
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Role of Local Government

• Work with local broadcasters and cable service
  providers to ensure their participation.
• Work with State Emergency Communications
  Committee, the entity that coordinates each
  states EAS participation
• Work with state emergency operations personnel
• Work with the FCC, FEMA and state and local
  government to inform the public about the test.
• FCC EAS National Test website http//www.fcc.gov/
  encyclopedia/emergency-alert-system-nationwide-tes
  t
• FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief EAS Test blog
  http//www.fcc.gov/blog/first-nationwide-test-eas.
  
• FEMA EAS Test website
• http//www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.s
  htm
• FEMA EAS Test blog
• http//blog.fema.gov/2011/06/announcing-first-nat
  ionwide-eas-test.html

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Thank You

• Gregory M. Cooke
• Associate Chief, Policy and Licensing Division
• Public Safety Homeland Security Bureau
• Federal Communications Commission
• [phone] (office)
• [phone] (mobile)
• gregory.cooke_at_fcc.gov

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Questions?