The EAS . . . . ! (insert "Outer Limits" opening theme here)

[wahookah]

... oh, Buoy!

as if this Emergency Alert System isn't complicated enough, now my understanding is that now
More and Expensive equipment needs to be bought by 3/31/11 in order for this to Work ? (or to
be "in compliance")

....and if that's not bad enough, depending on what you have in the rack, some of the more
known brands of equipment aren't sending stuff out in the field to modify or adapt. Instead,
they're gonna Make you buy the more "updated" equipment . . . . without some of those items that
those of us are already used to. (built-in printers for example)

..... if Anyone knows . . . . why is this being done & who's idea was this . . . ?

in my opinion (for what it's worth), if we are trying to make do with what we have & trying to
make it work here for us here in T-town, We Don't need More equipment added on.

Besides, ....it's extra work.


...... Anyone . . . . . ?

 

[bilco]

Wahookah, Let me comment on this as a former chairman of the Tucson operational area and current co-chair of the Southern NV, Inyo county CA operational area and co-vice chair of the Nevada SECC. EAS is really very simple for most stations. Push the button and it goes out. If it comes in, decide if you want to relay except the limited few things you must. Now as to new equipment. The 3/31/11 deadline is sure to be extended. The old EAS equiment will seem like childs toys compared with what the new stuff does. CAP is not Central AZ project or Civil Air Patrol, but rather the Common Alerting Protocol, a system that is being accepted throughout the first responder and homeland defense community. It will carry much more information than just "Severe thunder storm warning" and carry it in greater detail and do so less obtrusively. Amber Alerts will be better. Addresability to the specific area having a threat will be greater and in general a lot more can go out. The CAP allows for the same message to go out in English, Spanish and a few other forms that the receiving station can preselect to determine how they want to be alerted and what they will do with it. There will be some add on boxes for the old equipment but most are opting to go with new equipment, since most EAS stuff out in the field now is many years old and becomeing unreliable.It was bought in the last revisin back about 1992. The newer stuff is a lot more upgradable and firmware can be changed easily. THe new stuff will send E-mails to those responsible for keeping track, and automatically respond as preset by your station to messages and generally make life easier for the jock. Logging will be automatic, eliminating those old Cash Register Receipts. Why is it needed? because the current system is obsolete by any standards, but most importantly TO SAVE LIVES.

 

[caveman-97]

On Monday afternoon there was supposed to be a statewide Required Monthly Test. It appears that KTAR didn't air it at the specified time so KRQQ didn't air it at all. More than likely no station in Southern Arizona transmitted the test. There are many problems with EAS but the biggest one is the daisy chain where one station transmits data to others. If any link in the chain fails the whole system falls flat on its face. "Had this been an actual emergency, you would have been given no instructions...." The new system keeps the flawed relay arrangement. Something as simple as a power failure causes an entire region to go dead.

Have you ever tried to understand the FCC's lengthy EAS handbook? Before you find the right part of the book, the emergency will be over.

EAS is good for equipment manufacturers and keeping FCC staffers busy. For practical purposes it is next to useless.