Local governments are urging the FCC to require more accurate geo-targeting of wireless emergency alerts. The WEA system “is urgently in need of life‐saving technology updates,” said Oregon governments led by the city of Portland Bureau of Emergency Management. “Our region faces a range of natural, human‐caused, and technological hazards and where the public may need to be informed quickly to take action to stay safe, including 9‐1‐1 outages, flooding, winter weather, the release of hazardous materials, wildfires, civil disturbances, boil water notices, dam failures, public health emergencies, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions,” they said in a filing Thursday in docket 15-91. “For example, the Eagle Creek Fire last September in the Columbia River Gorge reached the edge of the metro region and for a time was the top fire priority in the country.” The District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency told the FCC it's concerned the commission still hasn't imposed device-assisted, geo-targeting capability requirements. “Now is the time to act on WEA geo-targeting improvements that are precise within one-tenth of a mile,” the department said.
The Senate Commerce Committee plans a Thursday hearing on emergency alert systems, in response to the false alarm about a possible ballistic missile headed for Hawaii that caused panic there Jan. 13, as expected (see 1801170050). FCC Homeland Security Bureau Chief Lisa Fowlkes, CTIA Senior Vice President Scott Bergmann and NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny are to testify. The Senate Commerce hearing will examine “policy concerns surrounding the use and effectiveness” of emergency alert systems, including wireless emergency alerts, because of the Hawaii incident and other “recent system failures,” the committee said Friday. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell. Meanwhile, Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, is working with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and several members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee on legislation aimed at developing best practices for states and municipalities to improve their emergency alert processes. The House Communications Subcommittee is planning its own hearing (see 1801160054).
Though ATSC 3.0 will enable advancements in emergency alerts, it can’t address the problems of an outdated, underfunded emergency alert system (EAS) operated by personnel who may be undertrained, said Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance Executive Director John Lawson at an FCBA event on ATSC 3.0 Friday. Panelists at the event also spoke about the upcoming trials of ATSC 3.0 technology and the process remaining for the new standard to go into effect.
The FCC should react to the recent false missile alert in Hawaii by developing best practices for the emergency alert system, studying improvements to the system and committing “right now” to having changes in place before summer, said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel Thursday at an NAB event on how broadcasters can prepare for emergencies (see 1801160054). “We need to look at everything from state training and practices to improved user interfaces for public safety that can reduce the likelihood of error.” Broadcasters told us preparation and funds are important to staying on-air (see 1712220028).
New FCC rules creating a Blue Alert emergency alert system code take effect Thursday, with the order’s publication in the Federal Register. The order (see 1712140045) requires delivery of Blue Alerts over the EAS to be implemented by Jan. 18, 2019, and over wireless emergency alerts by July 18, 2019, the FR said.
The FCC will push for the development of best practices for calls to 911 and work to speed transition of public safety answering points to next-generation 911, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said during a speech at the NG911 Institute Wednesday. The program also included 911 officials from three of the areas hardest hit by last year’s wave of storms -- southern Florida, Houston and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lawmakers in both houses are gearing up to scrutinize the false alarm about a possible ballistic missile headed for Hawaii that caused panic there Saturday. Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, told us Wednesday he's strongly considering legislation aimed at fixing faults in the emergency alert system. The Senate Commerce Committee is aiming for a hearing next week focused on the incident, two Capitol Hill aides said. The House Communications Subcommittee also is planning a to-be-scheduled hearing that will examine the false alert in the context of other public safety telecom issues. The FCC is investigating, as are Hawaii officials (see 1801160054).
New York City needs to be able to attach images to wireless emergency alerts it sends to the public, said Police Commissioner James O’Neill in a letter posted Tuesday by the FCC in docket 15-91. O’Neil noted that in September 2016 when the New York Police Department got a photo of Ahmad Rahimi, later convicted of guilty of eight federal charges Monday in connection with a September 2016 bombing in Chelsea, it had to send out an alert advising the public to check the media for the image. “We cannot continue rely on the public taking this extra step,” he said. Microsoft said additional WEA requirements could have some effect on how smartphones operate. “Microsoft has not performed device testing but expects that the addition of an additional data page to a wireless emergency alert to accommodate polygon geocoordinates should impose a minimal impact on device performance and message delivery latency,” the company filed. “The potential for increased alert delivery latency or device performance degradation (specifically, battery drain) would be more likely to occur with a significantly greater number of polygon coordinates, due to the increased magnitude of calculations that the operating system would be required to perform.” Commissioners are scheduled to vote a draft order Jan. 30 (see 1801090050).
The FCC is investigating a false alarm warning about a possible ballistic missile headed for Hawaii that caused panic there Saturday. The warning was sent as a wireless alert to cellphones in the state as well as by broadcasters and wasn’t retracted for 38 minutes. Chairman Ajit Pai said Sunday the FCC is investigating and called the false alarm “unacceptable.” Public safety officials told us Tuesday other that states are likely to look at their alerting protocols. Wireless customers got the following warning at just before 8:10 a.m. Hawaii time: “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” The House Communications Subcommittee said Tuesday it plans a hearing.
The FCC plans to act this month to create an economics office, hold a July Connect America Fund Phase II fixed broadband subsidy auction, improve wireless emergency alerts, and take modest broadcast and media deregulation steps, as expected (see 1801080058 and 1801080057). The agency released draft items Tuesday that Chairman Ajit Pai circulated and put on the preliminary agenda for the Jan. 30 commissioners' meeting, which also includes an enforcement action.