National EAS test scheduled for November 9

[Pab Sungenis]

Press release from FEMA:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The nationwide test will occur on Wednesday, November 19 at 2 p.m. eastern standard time and may last up to three and a half minutes.

The EAS is a national alert and warning system established to enable the President of the United States to address the American public during emergencies. NOAA's National Weather Service, governors and state and local emergency authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts.

Similar to local EAS tests that are already conducted frequently, the nationwide test will involve broadcast radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline video service providers across all states and the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

On November 9, the public will hear a message indicating that "This is a test." The audio message will be the same for both radio and television. Under the FCC's rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wireline video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential EAS messages to the public. A national test will help the federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system and its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers nationally and regionally.

This should be interesting to watch, since this is a first. Every TV and radio station in the country tests their EAS equipment every week and state networks do a mandatory test once a month, this is the first time something this big has been done.

The National Emergency Broadcast System was only activated once, and that was by accident thirty years ago. On February 21, 1971 a radio operator at NORAD accidentally sent the "activation" codes instead of the "closed circuit test" codes to UPI and the AP. Disturbingly, even though every radio station in the EBS network was told that a nuclear war was underway and they had to broadcast emergency messages or shut down almost none of them did. One of the few that actually did was WOWO in Indiana, and their accidental activation has been preserved for the ages: http://www.engineeringradio.us/blog/2010/10/wowo-ebs-activation/

The complete breakdown of the network in 1971 led to many changes in the EBS. When EAS was rolled out in 1997 it provided for "hands free" operation where the EAS device could override normal broadcasting to send alert messages to help cut down on human error.

This will be the first time the national EAS has been activated. It will use an actual national Emergency Alert Notification code, as if a national emergency were underway, but the alert message will be "this is only a test." The test will run for three minutes to make sure that it does not time out like local and state activations which time out after two minutes. The test will effect every broadcast station, every cable system, DirecTV and Dish Network, and SiriusXM. Some more recent cell phones with Common Alert Protocol capabilities may relay the alert, but are not specifically included in the test.

Things to watch for: stations that don't activate, stations that activate as if it's an actual alert and don't relay the test message, stations and systems that don't return to normal programming after the test is done, and Beckerheads who will say that this is a sign of Obama preparing to seize the national airwaves for some reason.

More detailed information at FEMA's website: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/eas_info.shtm#1

[saras]

1. "This is only a test. If it were an actual emergency, you'd be DEAD, suckers!"

"broadcast radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline video service providers"

Cool. there's no reason whatsoever I should encounter any of it.

In the eighties, the EBS was used locally, effectively, when a blizzard shut down the county (phenomenally unusual for here - we just drive in the snow all winter, if there is any). I was volunteering at the college radio station when it happened.

The EBS goes off, you hear what the message is, and at that time (non-automated station, live DJs), the person on-air at the time had to decide what to do, and know how to do it. It doesn't surprise me that a "nuclear attack" message, especially in an unbelievable year like 1971, was ignored. If it happened to me in 1971, I would have thought "prankster" LONG before I'd have thought "real attack."

[Tesha]

2. Another thing to watch for is a fellow named "V" who has an important message...

...for America's "I don't get involved" folks.

Tesha