Emergency Alert System

[WTFman]

Having perused the Wikipedia entries concerning the Emergency Broadcast System, Emergency Alert System,
etc.--I'm wondering if, since many find the 'tests' very annoying at times, it isn't time to do away
with it. The sound of the test is one which is routinely tuned away from or entirely ignored. The
National Weather Service ought continue with it's part of the system but I doubt that the possibly substantial money pumped into the management of the rest of the EAS is worth it. Anyone?

 

[RicoGregg]

The EAS, also known in the past as Civil Defense, CONELRAD, and EBS, is a legacy of the Cold War era.

It is not just for weather situations. The key word is "Emergency".

In my lifetime, I've heard the system set off for the Watts riots of 1965, the earthquakes of 1971 (Sylmar) & 1994 (Northridge), and the 1992 L.A. riots.

The system was also utilized in both New York City & Washington D.C. on 9-11.

It may not seem like it to everyone, but it does serve a useful purpose.

Those who may find the weekly tests annoying must be tuning in and out of a lot of frequencies. The tests are required just once a week for 60 seconds. They usually begin or end a commercial stop set.

In the 60s, as a PR gesture so as not to appear so grim, Civil Defense put out some humorous and musical EBS tests for radio stations to use. Here is an example of a humorous EBS test:

http://www.bsnpubs.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3757759

Scroll down to #7.

 

[Bryan Simmons]

The tests of today are different from those of the past. Actually a Required Weekly is the one most people hear and it's pretty short now. An open of about 3 seconds that states this is a test of the emergency alert system and then 3 long and 3 short tones. The whole thing is probably no more than 15 seconds or so. The old test from the 80's and before were much longer with a long aggravating tone. The annoying test now is the monthly and it's pretty bad. Sheriff Baca with a lot of background noise, and that can be a tune out. Plus it's a lot longer. Most activations are for severe weather, although not many here in California, and for Amber Alerts. I think we still need this system. I was in Pennsylvania a few years back and heard an activation for severe weather and darned if I didn't see everyone pulling over to seek shelter from a pretty wild electrical storm. I was thankful for the heads up.

 

[davideduardo]

The EAS, also known in the past as Civil Defense, CONELRAD, and EBS, is a legacy of the Cold War era.

"Civil Defense" was the banner that CONELRAD was created under; it had one purpose and that was to respond to an enemy... meaning "Soviet"... missile attack. It was never activated for a real alert, as far as I can see looking through Broadcasting Magazine. There were several half-hour national tests at around noon, EST, where all stations went off the air and were replaced by rotating low power operations on 640 and 1240.

The concept was expanded to include weather events, civil disturbances, chemical spills, forest fires, etc. as it grew from the EBS to the EAS.

In my lifetime, I've heard the system set off for the Watts riots of 1965, the earthquakes of 1971 (Sylmar) & 1994 (Northridge), and the 1992 L.A. riots.

I don't recall either the 1994 quake or the riots causing an activation. I spent the entire night of the riots at KHJ, and don't think we got an activation; we were the only Spanish language station on the air in the 6 to 7 hours after the Northridge event, and we didn't get an activation then. That may simply prove that the system has defects though.

If there was a Northridge activation, do you recall the message? "We've had an earthquake" would have gotten the "no s---t, Sherlock" reaction from most who were shaken awake or who had walls try to fall on them when arriving for the morning show"

It may not seem like it to everyone, but it does serve a useful purpose.

I've heard many activations for flash flooding and wind advisories in the Coachella Valley, and for fire alerts in the Prescott, AZ, area. Also heard one for monsoon rains and flooding while on the 10 west of Buckeye in AZ, useful because visibility went to 0 and the winds to 70 MPH gusts and the alert let me get off at a truck stop and wait it out over coffee.

And the related Amber alerts have proven most successful in saving lives.

The weekly tests are very short, and are required to be "at random" so any one listener seldom hears them. There has been a long thread on this on the engineering board, with suggestions that cell phones must be incorporated into the system as they are perhaps more "in use" at any given time than radio and TV combined.

In the 60s, as a PR gesture so as not to appear so grim, Civil Defense put out some humorous and musical EBS tests for radio stations to use. Here is an example of a humorous EBS test:

http://www.bsnpubs.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3757759

As one who did a "humorous" EBS test on WQII in the 70's, I can tell you that there was no tolerance for making the test less cut and dry. I was given a notice of violation, and was not fined only because we were contrite and apologetic and played the benign neglect the FCC showed to Puerto Rico to our advantage.

 

[nmoore6676]

Having perused the Wikipedia entries concerning the Emergency Broadcast System, Emergency Alert System,
etc.--I'm wondering if, since many find the 'tests' very annoying at times, it isn't time to do away
with it. The sound of the test is one which is routinely tuned away from or entirely ignored. The
National Weather Service ought continue with it's part of the system but I doubt that the possibly substantial money pumped into the management of the rest of the EAS is worth it. Anyone?

There has been an extensive discussion elsewhere on the Engineering board: http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=166283.0

The weather part of it works well here in Iowa so there I agree. As to other events I seem to sense that nobody really knows when and how to implement it so it is possible that it would seem useless to some people in someplaces.

Probably as noted by David Eduardo using it for earthquakes might come off as being silly:

Quote
In my lifetime, I've heard the system set off for the Watts riots of 1965, the earthquakes of 1971 (Sylmar) & 1994 (Northridge), and the 1992 L.A. riots.

I don't recall either the 1994 quake or the riots causing an activation. I spent the entire night of the riots at KHJ, and don't think we got an activation; we were the only Spanish language station on the air in the 6 to 7 hours after the Northridge event, and we didn't get an activation then. That may simply prove that the system has defects though.

If there was a Northridge activation, do you recall the message? "We've had an earthquake" would have gotten the "no s---t, Sherlock" reaction from most who were shaken awake or who had walls try to fall on them when arriving for the morning show"

Maybe doing the alert without the tones might be better to blunt the tendency to inattention. I am not sure that there is a reason for running the tones. In the old Conelrad days you had to run the test after the "this is a test" announcement along with the required carrier on and off sequence followed by the warbling tone and then "this has been a test". I suppose then that there was a justification for going for the whole enchilada (sorry David, couldn't resist) in order to demonstrate that the station personnel were capable of actually doing the real thing. Now I should think that an announcement without the alert tones would be adequate to show that the equipment and staff are functioning properly.

I don't recall the advance warning that there is going to be a test being done lately. Sometimes I've heard just the tone with no announcement while once in a while they follow the tone with a "this has been a test" announcement.

 

[WTFman]

I was unaware of the RADIO PROS or Engineering boards--my interest in the EAS was totally coincidental. When I found Radio-Info I bookmarked the Los Angeles page and forgot about exploring much of the rest of the site. Thanks for turning me in that direction.
After reading the Wikipedia info on EAS and its antecedents I just wondered how reliable or useful the whole thing is and wonder if it's just more waste (apart from the Weather Service Alerts) that could be cut from government spending with no likely repercussions. I find the TV test to be much more annoying than the radio tests since the volume of the test often seems to be so much louder than that of the program being interrupted--and that's what initially peaked my interest. The TV test blasts me out of my seat sometimes if I'm distracted. It sometimes makes me think about those poor souls who are found skeletonized in their easy chairs staring at their televisions in peaceful repose--except for the EAS tests. They're enough to wake the insufficently dead.

 

[davideduardo]

After reading the Wikipedia info on EAS and its antecedents I just wondered how reliable or useful the whole thing is and wonder if it's just more waste (apart from the Weather Service Alerts) that could be cut from government spending with no likely repercussions.

The government does not do a lot of the spending. The equipment at the stations is all paid by the stations... radio, TV, cable.

Government authorities that can activate the EAS at the local, regional, state or national level just maintain the ability to originate a notice.

Considering the usefulness of the system for weather issues (particularly in tornado and flood prone areas), abducted children, and other situations, there is great value that would be enhanced by creating the next generation based on newer technology and including mobile devices such as cellular phones.

 

[willdav713]

I don't like the fact that Time Warner mutes the audio and has the EAS test on all the channels (including the City Council channel, even during a meeting violating Texas Open Meetings Act: Recording of a Meeting by Person in Attendance. I hope AG Abbott plans to sue the Obama administration in having them cease muting the audio on the EAS on Government Access Channels such as Austin Channel 6, and Travis County Television 17.

I am pretty sure they don't have to mute the audio, and FYI the longest required weekly test clocks in at 1:20. I missed part of Huckabee when Obama spoke about Stand Your Ground law. They did two during Huckabee one for Williamson, Bell, Travis, and Williamson. The other for Bell, Lampasas, Lee, and McLennon. Yesterday I got one for Colorado, TX. I guess I get one for KERR, TX in 1 hour from now, despite the fact my cable is coming in from Austin, and not San Antonio. When I had U-verse I could click a button to make it go away. So Time Warner likes to make it difficult I guess to stifle speech.

 

[radio-darn]

There were several half-hour national tests at around noon, EST, where all stations went off the air and were replaced by rotating low power operations on 640 and 1240.

Comedian Robert Klein had said the Soviets secret plan was to attack at noon so we'd all think it was just a test.

Who remembers the ghostly wail of those air raid sirens? In the midwest they still use them for tornado warnings, but here in California if we heard them no doubt we'd look up in the air expecting to see some sort of Independence Day type of alien invaders.

 

[jprg]

I remember back in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area (The World Series Quake) that KCBS 740 activated the real deal EBS. The tone and everything and the live reports were first class. It was the first time I heard the real stuff. The other time I heard the real thing was also from KCBS with the tone and we had a bad storm in the Bay Area with 50 MPH winds.

 

[MisterGort]

Everyone -- check your memory --.. At no time in modern Los Angeles History has any AM - FM or TV station activated a REAL EAS/EBS event. Not one time. Not any roit. No eartquake. NONE.
The big boys are afaid of wide spead pank in the streets.
Can anyone PROVE that I am wrong ??

However -- the EAS is very well and very much needed in the country
of Texas. Activations of about 275 times a year are routine and a normal part of the day.

EAS will only work -- if everyone uses it -- on a day to day basis.

But there MUST be some improvements and some changes - if it is to work alot better.

 

[sandwix]

I remember back in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area (The World Series Quake) that KCBS 740 activated the real deal EBS. The tone and everything and the live reports were first class. It was the first time I heard the real stuff. The other time I heard the real thing was also from KCBS with the tone and we had a bad storm in the Bay Area with 50 MPH winds.

Actually, it wasn't KCBS because the firing of the EBS tones turned into a fiasco for KNBR, the designated EBS station on October 17, 1989, the day of the earthquake.

Despite emergency personnel clearly caught on televised video during the Giants/A's World Series instructing everyone at Candlestick Park to "tune to KNBR for emergency information," the KNBR engineering department experienced a major malfunction, and coupled with the station's confusion surrounding whether the earthquake was "worthy" of the tones, KNBR swam in a sea of stupidity. KCBS picked up the slack and became the "go-to" radio station for the emergency. Consequently, an investigation was soon ordered by the FCC to ask why KNBR failed to communicate the catastrophe with the EBS tones and instructions to the public.

One of the persons who sat on the FCC review panel was TV and radio owner James Gabbert, who was himself an engineer.

Due to Gabbert's diligence, KNBR's EBS designation was revoked. As well, the whole fiasco instigated review of the EBS test, its process and instructions, leading to the creation of the newly named EAS. And as a result of the findings that KNBR pretty much screwed up big time, the new EAS station for the nine-county Bay Area became KCBS in 1990, and remains to this day.

 

[ercjncpr]

Everyone -- check your memory --.. At no time in modern Los Angeles History has any AM - FM or TV station activated a REAL EAS/EBS event. Not one time. Not any roit. No eartquake. NONE.
The big boys are afaid of wide spead pank in the streets.
Can anyone PROVE that I am wrong ??

However -- the EAS is very well and very much needed in the country
of Texas. Activations of about 275 times a year are routine and a normal part of the day.

EAS will only work -- if everyone uses it -- on a day to day basis.

But there MUST be some improvements and some changes - if it is to work alot better.

Absolutely, I have been listening to radio in the Los Angeles market since I was a kid (over 50 years)..NEVER a CONELRAD?EBS/EAS activation here

 

[willdav713]

Everyone -- check your memory --.. At no time in modern Los Angeles History has any AM - FM or TV station activated a REAL EAS/EBS event. Not one time. Not any roit. No eartquake. NONE.
The big boys are afaid of wide spead pank in the streets.
Can anyone PROVE that I am wrong ??

However -- the EAS is very well and very much needed in the country
of Texas. Activations of about 275 times a year are routine and a normal part of the day.

EAS will only work -- if everyone uses it -- on a day to day basis.

But there MUST be some improvements and some changes - if it is to work alot better.

I guess you like your televised city council meetings interupted by them muting the audio and video-if you have Tivo. I don't.

When I am in Austin, I don't want to see alerts designed for Colorado, TX (which is Colorado County is over their by Columbus, Tx) and I don't want to see the alerts for KERR, TX (which is Kerr County, closer to San Antonio, and Fredericksburg than Austin)

 

[MisterGort]

I see that you might have not read my words correctly.

EAS works but it needs some corrections and updating. It is not a perfect system. But it is what we have to use.

Someone like you and your city or county councils need to ask for a waiver or change in the rules. Ask that the local access - cable channel NOT be required to carry tests. Just real activations and alerts.

Call the city and county. Call the cable company and any sponsor.
You seem to be a person that is comcerned about your local government. Do something about it.

It is not perfect and it needs to be changed - updated - and maybe an overhaul or just some input from someone like YOU. Good Luck.

 

[willdav713]

I see that you might have not read my words correctly.

EAS works but it needs some corrections and updating. It is not a perfect system. But it is what we have to use.

Someone like you and your city or county councils need to ask for a waiver or change in the rules. Ask that the local access - cable channel NOT be required to carry tests. Just real activations and alerts.

Call the city and county. Call the cable company and any sponsor.
You seem to be a person that is comcerned about your local government. Do something about it.

It is not perfect and it needs to be changed - updated - and maybe an overhaul or just some input from someone like YOU. Good Luck.

I will bring this up at the next Austin City Council meeting during citizens communications.

I will also bring it up at citizens communications at Travis County Commissioners Court as well.

I did call the cable company and they said it was mandated by the federal government.

 

[davideduardo]

I did call the cable company and they said it was mandated by the federal government.

That is correct. Radio, TV and Cable must broadcast a weekly test as well as any activations by local, state or national authorities.

The city council or county government can not override FCC rules, particularly rules intended to protect public safety.

You will be seeing alerts on your cellphone, too, if it is text enabled.

 

[MisterGort]

True. No local government authority can change the rules. However -- Local Governments have the power to seek a change in the FCC rules -- or seek a "waiver" of those rules. If granted -- cable access channel may be exempted from "tests of the EAS. The local cable company must comply with the FCC rules now in place. But if the FCC rules were changed -- then they would not have to carry "tests" on the local access channels. It is up to the Cable company or local Government agency to write the FCC to change the rules.