First ever nation-wide
EAS test Wednesday
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November 4, 2011 |
With the first-ever nationwide test of the
Emergency Alert System less than one week away,
the leaders of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) sent an open letter to all
stakeholders today, including governors, federal
legislators, broadcasters, news networks and
other organizations, asking for their continued
help in educating their respective communities
about the test.
Although the Emergency Alert System is decades
old and often tested and used at the local
level, it has never before been tested on a
nationwide scale. This first-ever test will
occur at 11 a.m. Pacific time Wednesday,
November 9. The test will occur simultaneously
across the U.S. and its territories and will
last approximately 30 seconds, after which
regular programming will resume. The test will
look and sound very similar to the local tests
of the Emergency Alert System that occur
frequently.
“The various disasters our country has faced
this year underscore the need for effective and
well-tested emergency alert and warning systems
that could be used in a time of real emergency,
at a moment’s notice,” FEMA Administrator Craig
Fugate and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote
in their letter to stakeholders. “The purpose of
the test is to allow FEMA and the FCC to assess
how well the Emergency Alert System would
perform its primary function: alerting the
public about a national emergency.”
As Fugate and Genachowski explain in their
letter, testing this existing technology will
help identify any positive changes that could be
made as FEMA, the FCC and other partners
continue working to build a modernized and fully
accessible Emergency Alert System.
In preparing for this test, FEMA and the FCC
have been working closely with the broadcast and
disability communities, as well as state,
territorial, tribal and local partners, and many
other stakeholders to help broadcasters to make
this test as accessible as possible.
As the test approaches, Fugate and Genachowski
are spearheading an aggressive public education
campaign to ensure that all Americans are aware
of the test and know what to expect. As part of
these efforts, they are asking stakeholders to
make sure their communities are aware of key
facts about the test, including that the test
will appear on all broadcast radio and
television stations, cable television systems,
satellite radio and television systems, and
wireline video service systems. The test will
not impact landline or mobile phones, power
grids, or Internet connectivity.
“As with all of our work, we know that the
support of our state, local, tribal and
territorial partners, along with the private
sector, our faith-based and disability
communities, and other key stakeholders, will be
vital to effectively raising the public’s
awareness of the test and minimizing undue
public concern,” Fugate and Genachowski continue
in their letter. “We greatly appreciate your
continued partnership as we prepare for this
unique event and important public service.”
The full text of their letter can be found at:
www.fema.gov/eastest. For more information on
the test, visit the FCC’s website or FEMA’s
blog. |
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