Nationwide Test Will Assess Readiness, Says FCC Blog; EAS Manufacturer Denied Waiver
Wednesday's nationwide test of the emergency alert system (EAS) will “be an opportunity to assess the readiness of America’s core public alert and warning infrastructure,” said Public Safety Bureau Deputy Chief Lisa Fowlkes in a blog post Monday. The test…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
is set for 2:20 p.m. EDT, and will include bilingual alerts, a new nationwide location code and a new test alert code (see 1609260079). “The rapid dissemination of authoritative information can save lives,” the blog post said: State and local emergency planners should use the occasion of the nationwide test to ensure that their local government agencies are familiar with EAS, that 911 call centers are included in their alerting plans, and that they are familiar with their state's emergency communications coordinator. “We encourage all stakeholders to stay informed and involved in the future of alerting,” Fowlkes said. Meanwhile, the Public Safety Bureau denied a request from EAS equipment manufacturer Gorman-Redlich for a waiver from rules requiring stations to upgrade their equipment to be able to broadcast the new EAS nationwide location code, said an order in docket 15-94 released Tuesday. Gorman-Redlich argued “certain manufacturers” are unable to upgrade their equipment, and doing so would be a financial burden to broadcasters. Gorman-Redlich wasn't specific enough about the costs that would be incurred and why the equipment couldn't be upgraded, and its waiver request was so broad it would have covered most radio stations in the country, the order said.