V A - E A S . O R G Emergency Alert System

Local governments in central Virginia and Hampton Roads are getting a new satellite-based digital alerting system that will allow them to keep communication with the Virginia Emergency Operations Center in the event of phone or Internet loss. The Emergency Management Network, or EMnet, also lets localities send Emergency Alert System messages directly to their local media during emergencies and disasters.

"Making these communication systems available to more localities can save lives," said Michael Cline, state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. "EMnet allows us to communicate with local governments when other systems are unavailable and to get them the help they need. It also allows local governments to send live-saving Emergency Alert System messages to the media quicker than ever before."

The network is a secure system designed to maintain communications for the emergency management community during a disaster, when phone lines and Internet service could go down. Reliable communications systems are extremely important during response efforts, in the event that localities need to request assistance from other localities or from the Virginia Emergency Operations Center. EMnet also offers an efficient means of delivering hazards and warnings to emergency responders.

VDEM is currently working with designated localities to conduct site surveys. Once the surveys are completed, EMnet will be installed in facilities designated by localities, such as local emergency operations centers or 911 centers. Installation for all 22 sites is scheduled to be completed by the end of summer 2008.

The designated localities include the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg and the counties of Accomack, Chesterfield, Gloucester, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland and York.

Next Generation EAS

The July 2007 FCC rulemaking issued by the FCC means big changes to the EAS. Although equipment is not yet available, when it is, the transistion may be swift. Learn about CAP- the Common Altering Protocal - at the SBE EAS website.

Gary Timm has posted a useful page tracking the progress of CAP implementation on the SBE Chapter 24 website.

For those interested in the technical details of the CAP, this wiki is a good site to browse.

At the FCC's recent EAS summit meeting, one of the prime topics was the re-writing of State Plans. This will be a big job for the SECC.

Society of Broadcast Engineers Opposes Live Code testing of EAS

Indianapolis - May 25, 2007 - The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) announced its opposition to the use of real or live NWRSAME codes for system tests of the public warning system by National Weather Service (NWS)/NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) and some local authorities.

Alerts from the NWS, some local authorities and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) using real emergency event codes, when no actual emergency exists, have recently been used in some communities to test consumer receivers. The NWS is recommending the practice be expanded nationwide. While stated NWS policy establishes that approval for NWS live code testing is up to the state and local EAS committees, some committees are not being consulted or do not understand that they may decline the request. Local emergency officials also may not fully understand the implications of the request and may participate without realizing the serious negative results. The SBE asserts that these cry-wolf alerts will potentially cause public alarm, weaken confidence in the EAS for real alerts and discourage broadcaster’s involvement with volunteer EAS programs.

Broadcasters and cable systems decode the EAS data and send the information directly to scrolling messages on TV screens and radios. One result of live-code tests would be that TV’s viewed by the deaf and hard of hearing, and TVs in public places would not show any indication that the message is not a real alert. In addition, those receiving emergency messages through the Internet, PDAs, cell phones, programmable road signs, highway advisory radio, lottery terminals and shopping center marquee signs will not know the message was simply a test. The SBE says the negative effect of live-code testing outweighs the benefits of testing the public’s weather alert radios.

SBE President Chriss Scherer, CPBE CBNT, said, "There is a national effort to update EAS and NWR data standards with a technology called Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). CAP will allow a visual scroll of the same information as in the audio message, and the SBE suggests that such a technology—when in common use—will be better suited to live-code tests."

It is worth noting that in Virginia the annual TORnado drill has been done as an RMT, not a TOR, because of the problems detailed above by the SBE.

Daylight Savings Time Issues

As you may well know, our Federal Government made a change to the DST schedule without considering the full ramifications thereof. Stations should be aware of the problems created by this change concerning EAS eqiupment. More.

AMBER ALERTS

There may be many components to local AMBER ALERT PLANS, some unique to the individual locality.
Many components do not involve broadcasters and are not discussed here.

1. The AMBER alert EAS activation request MUST be routed by the appropriate law enforcement agencies to the Virginia State Police (VSP). VSP will evaluate the request using the attached criteria and flowchart from the state AMBER plan.

2. VSP will initiate any EAS activation. Initially, such activations will be made with a statewide location code (051000) and will be broadcast statewide by NOAA weather radio to the LP stations (WQPO and WMRA) for rebroadcast. As resources permit, a more targeted system will be developed.

3. Receipt of an AMBER alert via EAS is a cue to individual stations to monitor their fax machines OR GO TO THE STATE AMBER website for supplemental information. The fax broadcasts will come from VSP. Local agencies may, as always, issue press information to broadcast outlets, and are encouraged to do so.

Stations should closely monitor the Virginia AMBER website and their fax machines for the duration of the event, There will be NO EAS activations for additional information or cancellations. The Virginia AMBER website will include photos when available for television station use. A link to this website is now posted on the VA EAS WEBSITE navigation bar.

4. Stations are encouraged to broadcast once the EAS activation (LP stations will broadcast these alerts). Additional information may be broadcast by stations just as they would any late-breaking news story. Participation in AMBER is completely voluntary; stations operating unattended will likely be able to only broadcast the original EAS activation (automatic relay).

The purpose of the EAS activation is to notify stations that there is such an event occurring in a rapid manner, and to serve as authentication for the fax messages to follow. Stations are not expected to transcribe or record the original AMBER message from the EAS broadcast.

5. Additional announcements may be made by the stations as they deem appropriate. The suggested schedule, as contained in the state AMBER plan, is this:

At least every 15 minutes for the first two hours
Every 30 minutes for the next three hours.
After five hours, hourly updates for the next 7 hours or as appropriate

6. Supplemental information via facsimile will be targeted only at the region of concern, even though the EAS alert will be distributed statewide. Therefore, if you do not receive any information via fax, or cannot find any information on the Virginia AMBER website you may in fact not have anything to broadcast. Disregard the event.

7. Stations monitoring the EAS activation may delete the event if it does not seem applicable. For Example, an abduction in Tidewater is of no concern to Winchester stations until such time as law enforcement may believe the victim has been transported to that area. LP stations will rebroadcast ALL AMBER EAS alerts using the CAE code.

8. Stations are reminded that EAS activations contrary to the State and Local Area plans may be considered "false or deceptive EAS transmissions" as per 47 CFR 11.45. ALL AMBER ACTIVATIONS MUST ORIGINATE WITH THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE.

9. Further information is available on the web.

State EAS Plan
State Amber Website current alert info
State Amber Plan
Missing Children

Participating Stations are encouraged to place the AMBER logo on their station website with a link to the Virginia AMBER website. This will make it easy for your announcers to quickly obtain AMBER information and will identify your station to the public as an AMBER station. If a photograph is available you can point your listeners to this link.

Download the AMBER logo here.
You may wish to link this logo to www.vaamberalert.com

ALTERNATE PEP EAN ALERTS

NPR, in cooperation with the FCC's Emergency Alert Advisory Committee, has established an alternate source for National Level EAN notifications. NPR stations who monitor the analog "squawk channel" can input this source into their EAS equipment and provide a valuable service. More.

How the state relay system works

Click here to view the animated State Relay Network map to see how it is supposed to work.