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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
1045 AM EST THU JAN 2 1997
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: BARRY REICHENBAUGH...NWS OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: NEW EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM...EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1 1997
"THIS IS A TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM -- THIS IS ONLY A
TEST...." SOUNDS FAMILIAR...RIGHT? IT IS A TEST SCRIPT THAT BROAD-
CASTERS MUST FOLLOW. WE ALL HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES ALONG WITH THE
TWO TONE ATTENTION SIGNAL. BROADCAST STATIONS WERE REQUIRED TO
TRANSMIT THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM /EBS/ TEST ONCE A WEEK.
BEGINNING JANUARY 1 1997...THE NEW EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM /EAS/
REPLACED THE OLD EBS FOR ALL BROADCAST STATIONS--AM...FM...AND TV.
THIS NEW SYSTEM WILL REPLACE THE WEEKLY "ONLY A TEST" MESSAGE WITH
LESS OBTRUSIVE WEEKLY TESTS AND SHORTER...MONTHLY ON-AIR TESTS FOR
TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS. THERE ARE OTHER IMPORTANT CHANGES.
THE EAS USES DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO DISTRIBUTE MESSAGES AND THIS
ALLOWS FOR A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN PROVIDING EMERGENCY INFORMATION
TO THE PUBLIC. THE NEW SYSTEM HAS A LESS OBTRUSIVE TESTING SYSTEM--
BROADCAST STATIONS ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO TRANSMIT THE DIGITAL
CODES...TEST SCRIPT...ATTENTION SIGNAL...AND...FOR TV STATIONS A
VISUAL MESSAGE...ONCE A MONTH. THE REQUIRED WEEKLY TEST ONLY
CONSISTS OF THE DIGITAL CODES AND SHOULD BE LESS THAN 8 SECONDS IN
DURATION. THE NEW EAS SHOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO CAUSE BROADCAST
AUDIENCES TO TUNE OUT THE EBS BECAUSE THEY ASSUME IT IS "JUST A
TEST." THE NEW SYSTEM ALLOWS STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS TO QUICKLY
SEND OUT IMPORTANT AREA SPECIFIC STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY
INFORMATION AND IT ALSO RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY
INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH.
EVEN IF YOU AREN/T WATCHING TELEVISION OR LISTENING TO YOUR
RADIO...THE EAS PROVIDES THE OPTION TO PERMIT NEW SPECIALLY EQUIPPED
CONSUMER PRODUCTS...SUCH AS TELEVISIONS...CAR RADIOS...PAGERS AND
OTHER DEVICES...TO RECEIVE AN EAS ALERT AND WARNING. IN EFFECT...
THESE NEW DESIGNED DEVICES WILL "TURN THEMSELVES ON" TO RECEIVE AND
DELIVER THIS EMERGENCY INFORMATION TO LISTENERS AND VIEWERS.
WHY HAVE AN EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM? ....................
THE EBS...NOW THE EAS...IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE PRESIDENT WITH A
MEANS TO ADDRESS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE EVENT OF A NATIONAL
EMERGENCY. AFTER EAS ACTIVATION...THE PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE ACCESS
TO BROADCAST STATIONS...CABLE SYSTEMS AND PARTICIPATING SATELLITE
PROGRAMMERS TO TRANSMIT A MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC. SINCE THE EBS
CREATION IN 1963..THE EBS HAS NEVER BEEN ACTIVATED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
ALSO BEGINNING IN 1963...THE PRESIDENT PERMITTED STATE AND LOCAL
LEVEL EMERGENCY INFORMATION TO BE TRANSMITTED USING THE EBS. THE
EAS WILL USE DIGITAL CODES DEVELOPED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
/NWS/. NWS OFFICES CAN ORIGINATE CODED MESSAGES THAT ARE AREA
SPECIFIC AND WILL ONLY ACTIVATE EAS DECODERS AND SEND EMERGENCY
WARNINGS TO PEOPLE IN THE AFFECTED GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
WHAT DOES THE NEW EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM MEAN FOR YOU? ..........
AUTOMATIC OPERATION.....THE EAS USES A DIGITAL SYSTEM
ARCHITECTURE THAT WILL ALLOW BROADCAST STATIONS...CABLE
SYSTEMS...PARTICIPATING SATELLITE COMPANIES...AND OTHER SERVICES TO
SEND AND RECEIVE EMERGENCY INFORMATION QUICKLY AND AUTOMATICALLY.
REDUNDANCY......THE EAS REQUIRES MONITORING OF AT LEAST TWO
INDEPENDENT SOURCES OF EMERGENCY INFORMATION. THIS WILL INSURE THAT
EMERGENCY INFORMATION IS RECEIVED AND DELIVERED TO VIEWERS AND
LISTENERS.
LESS INTRUSIVE......A WEEKLY TEST THAT IS LESS OBTRUSIVE TO
VIEWERS AND LISTENERS--IT WILL TAKE ONLY 8 SECONDS TO CONDUCT--AS
WELL AS A SHORTENED MONTHLY ON-AIR TEST. WHEN PEOPLE DO HEAR OR SEE
THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM AT WORK...THEY WILL TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
SECOND LANGUAGE...DO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WATCH SPANISH-
LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING? THE EAS HAS THE CAPABILITY OF PROVIDING
ALERTS IN THE LANGUAGE NORMALLY USED BY THE STATION OR CABLE SYSTEM.
WHO MAKES THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM WORK?............
THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION /FCC/ DESIGNED THE NEW
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM...WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
/NWS/ AND THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION /FEMA/.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF EACH OF THESE AGENCIES?...............
FCC...THE FCC WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO BROADCASTERS...CABLE
SYSTEM OPERATORS...AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE EAS REGARDING THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THIS EMERGENCY SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY...THE FCC WILL
ENSURE THAT STATE AND LOCAL PLANS ARE COMPLETE AND THAT REQUIRED
PARTICIPANTS COMPLY WITH THE EAS REQUIREMENTS.
NWS...THE NWS PROVIDES EMERGENCY WEATHER INFORMATION USED TO ALERT
THE PUBLIC OF INCIPIENT DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. SEVENTY PERCENT OF
ALL ACTIVATIONS OF THE EBS WERE A RESULT OF NATURAL
DISASTERS AND WERE WEATHER RELATED. LINKING THE NATIONAL OCEANIC
AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION /NOAA/ WEATHER RADIO NETWORK
ELECTRONICALLY WITH THE NATION/S EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM WILL HELP
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAVE LIVES BY REACHING MORE PEOPLE WITH
TIMELY...SITE-SPECIFIC SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS.
FEMA....FEMA PROVIDES DIRECTION FOR STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY
PLANNING OFFICIALS TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT THEIR ROLES IN THE EAS.
WHERE CAN YOU GET MORE INFORMATION?..........
CONSUMERS...BROADCASTERS...ORGANIZATIONS...OR OTHER SERVICE
PROVIDERS WHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE NEW EAS CAN CONTACT:
FCC...THE FCC PROVIDES A TOLL FREE NUMBER THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION
ON A WIDE VARIETY OF SUBJECTS...INCLUDING THE EAS. THE NUMBER IS
1-888-CALL FCC /1-888-225-5255/.
NWS...CONTACT ROD BECKER /301/ 713-0090 EXTENSION 114 OR RON BERGER
/301/ 713-0090 EXTENSION 117.
FEMA...CONTACT KYLE BLACKMAN /202/ 646-4676.
MEDIA WHO WISH TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EAS SHOULD CALL
FCC/S OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202/418-0500.
NWS OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 301/713-0622.
FEMA OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202/646-4600.
...END....
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