[sbe-eas] How Texas plans to communicate with you if another winter storm leaves us in the dark

[Adrienne Abbott]

Remember, we broadcasters are dealing with:

Emergency Managers around who tell us: "Don't worry, little lady, we'll tell the media what we think they should know when we think they should know it". 

Officials who said, at the height of last summer's drought and fires, that there would "never be another winter when the snow levels would fall below 8000 feet."  

Residents who said after the Camp Fire: "We knew that it was only a matter of time until the area around our community burned and took our homes with it." 

 

It's nice when officials and emergency managers use Twitter and other Social Media to inform residents during an emergency. It's helpful when they use telephone notifications and their chosen agency subscription services. It's even better when they think about using WEA and EAS. But it's their choice, not ours. Those officials are paid the Big Bucks to know and understand their communities and the needs of their communities. In other words, people get the warning systems they want. 

 

The bottom line is, officials want to warn only the people affected by an emergency or disaster, and people don't want a warning unless the emergency directly involves them. 

 

And just having returned from Texas, from visiting family affected by the windmill disaster, power outages are unpredictable but self-announcing events. When the power goes out, while officials have a limited time and limited capabilities to communicate information to residents, the state doesn't need a "better warning plan". The state needs a better plan for backup power delivery. There's something wrong with those fields of windmills dotted with non-functioning oil pumpjacks.  

 

Off my soapbox now, back to shepherding our EAS Plan through the FCC ARS Review process. 

Adrienne

 

Adrienne Abbott, W6BCY

Nevada EAS Chair

"Radio burps, it cries, it needs to be fed all the time, it requires constant attention, but we love it." Jim Aaron WGLN 

 

From: sbe-eas On Behalf Of FRANK W BELL
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2022 1:18 PM
To: SBE EAS Exchange - a mail list for discussion about the Emergency Alert System and other emergency communication issues. <sbe-eas at sbe.org>
Subject: Re: [sbe-eas] How Texas plans to communicate with you if another winter storm leaves us in the dark

 

It is better to use Twitter instead of nothing. There was no mention of the FCC or Emergency Alert System, including WEA. Meanwhile the CAP Event Terms list has terms for power issues, but the present EAS is not as detailed. This probably explains why the State of Texas is proposing to add an alert rather than use the current Event Codes. 

In Jan 2020 OASIS presented the ITU an Event Terms list which included several Event Terms for power distribution issues. I commented to the FCC that this Event Terms  be adopted, as all the current Event Codes are included. The Texas Public Utilities Commission does not appear to be aware of this. And now it is winter again. 

Sincerely, 

Frank W. BELL 

This communication is private and confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this communication, however you are welcome to first reply to frank.w.bell at usa.net <mailto:frank.w.bell at usa.net>  noting that you received this communication and whether you consider this to be in error or some other situation. 





------ Original Message ------ 
Received: 11:34 AM EST, 01/07/2022 
From: Sean Donelan <sean at donelan.com <mailto:sean at donelan.com> > 
To: sbe-eas at sbe.org <mailto:sbe-eas at sbe.org>  
Subject: [sbe-eas] How Texas plans to communicate with you if another winter storm leaves us in the dark 




https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article256686832.html 


[...] 
ERCOT, the state’s power grid operator, also has a new strategy for social 
media. 

“ERCOT keeps its communication tool on the sideline in case of emergency,” 
Lake said. “They’re not tweeting about the weather. ... If you see a tweet 
from ERCOT, it’s serious. This is an emergency tool, communication tool. 
We will only use it in case of emergency.” 

About one in five Americans are active on Twitter, according to the Pew 
Research Center. 

Senate Bill 3, the state’s grid reform bill, establishes an emergency 
alert system for power outages similar to a Silver or Amber Alert. 

A rule related to the system and when it would be activated is pending 
before the commission. Comments are due Jan. 11. 

“It’s never going to be, kind of, fly by wire again,” Lake said. “So it’s 
an entirely new communication protocol.” 
[...] 

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